Angel In the Machine
by The Hollow Man
Summary: Ash has spent his entire life suffering from oppression and intolerance. Unable to use spiritual energy and lacking a family, he spends his days trying to get by. But after discovering the world of aura, he may not even survive... AshxHarem
1. Chapter 1: Advent

**Alright! Since I'm a completely new author and this is my first fic, this is the part where I introduce myself. If you want to skip the boring part and go straight to the fic then scroll down to the big bold number one that signifies the beginning of the chapter.**

**Firstly I would like to say that constructive criticism is always welcome, and that flamers can kiss my ass. **

**I would also like to thank some of the authors on this site for their excellent works of fiction. If you haven't read **_**Pokemon: Revival of Aura**_** by ShootingShadow,**_** Limit's End **_**by Complete Hollow and Naito Writer, **_**Choice and Destiny **_**by Russell B. T. Kirkpatrick, the many works of Fujin of Shadows and Johan07, or **_**Destruction's of One's Heart **_**by Thomas3Garchomp then go read them before you read this. It is stories like these that inspired me to try to write in the first place. You may also notice some references in this fic to **_**Yu Yu Hakusho **_**and **_**Naruto**_**, two excellent animes.**

**So please enjoy **_**Angel in the Machine.**_** Review if you feel like it, and let me know if you think I should continue with it.**

**DISCLAIMER: All characters, plot lines, and concepts within the Pokemon universe are the intellectual property of their respective owners, licensers and distributers. The author of this fanfiction makes no claim to own any part of the Pokemon franchise and generates no income thereby. This fanfiction is free of charge, and if you have paid for it then you are a victim of fraud.**

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><p><strong>1-Advent<strong>

"_**The past leaves innumerable scars on us all. We can run from them, try to hide them... but we can never escape them. We can only live with what we've done and hope that that horrible certainty doesn't crush us in the end."**_

_**-Ash Ketchum**_

It can be a funny thing, a photograph.

It's the sum of its parts- paper and stain. It doesn't matter whether it's an interesting result of a silver chromate emulsion or if it's millions of pixels that have been told to get up and glow; it's all just physics. It shouldn't matter. It shouldn't _hurt_.

But it does.

The photograph shows a woman. She is beautiful, but not in a stunning way—she's just very pretty and obviously very happy. Her brown hair, worn in a ponytail, is shifted slightly, suggesting wind. This impression is confirmed by the billowing of the white sundress that she wears. She smiles at the camera, her blue eyes shining with the happiness of a young mother.

In her arms is the boy.

While the woman's age is indeterminate (one could say twenty-eight and be off by a decade in either direction) the boy's is a little more certain. He's young—he must be, as he can only remember the woman in the vaguest of terms. Only two or three then, far too young to remember the photo... but old enough to remember what happened after.

He doubts that he will ever forget that, as hard as he tries.

* * *

><p><em>Mom was a contrast in terms. It was horrible to remember her like that, but it wasn't as if I could help it. White and red, happy and sad, cold and warm. Well. She was cold. It was her blood that was warm. Her dark red blood all over the cold white snow, and all over me. She was happy too, in a weird way, because she knew that they wanted me alive. She was happy because I had a future, even if it was a god-awful one<em>. _She was sad because she knew she wouldn't be there to see it._

_She even smiled at me through the blood and the pain. That must have been hard. I could see that she wanted to reassure me and tell me that everything would be alright—but even if that hadn't been a lie she couldn't have done it. The lights in her eyes faded... and then went out. She was dead. The only person who had ever loved me was dead. And behind me the... thing... that had killed her moved._

_Movement was bad enough, I didn't want the damned thing getting any closer to me or to her. But what happened next was worse. It made me realize that I wasn't dealing with a force or an accident; I was dealing with a thinking being. Something had consciously made the decision to murder my mother._

_It spoke. It picked me up by my neck, smiled at me, and spoke. Just one word, but it was the most frightening moment of my life._

"_Mine."_

* * *

><p>I woke up screaming, which actually isn't that unusual for me. In my first year at the orphanage, some of the older kids had tried to prank me in my sleep, and I nearly beat one of them to death before I'd fully woken up. Gary says that I'm "asymptotically neurotic"... which, come to think of it, is a fairly technical term for a guy who devotes his entire life to the pursuit of sex. He probably looked the words up in a dictionary to sound smart.<p>

The sounds of the orphanage in morning mode begin to filter into my consciousness. Crying from the younger kids, sleepy cries of "Shut the fuck up!" from the older kids, the occasional yawn... pretty much the same as any day. It wasn't actually a bad place to live once you got used to it. It had been worse when I first arrived but the patient teachings of Michael and the sheer volume of insanity-fuelled ass-whuppings I had passed out in my first few years had calmed things down significantly. Michael was the oldest among us, and sort of an unofficial guardian. Whichever governmental branch saw to it that we were fed on a semi-regular basis was completely faceless, and although Michael was old enough to leave he stayed to help us out. He was patient and tolerant, and was always trying to get us to get along. As for me... well, let's just say that I was not the most stable of people when I first came here. I managed to stop most of the fighting though... eventually. There was actually a massive increase in fighting the month after I came here, followed by an even greater drop. I guess nearly biting someone's ear off meant that most people knew that I was more trouble than I was worth. Five years later and I was one of the older orphans in the place, so I tried to keep an eye out for the younger kids. I'm actually pretty fond of kids—adults hate me and people my own age tend to fear me.

Well, most people. There are a few that tolerate me, and that's why I'm rushing to get out. Misty gets pissed if I'm late, and, while I don't care much about school, a pissy Misty is nothing to look forward to. I should know. I am the world expert at getting her angry, which sort of requires me to be the world expert in knowing when I can get away with it. Those who don't know when they can get away with it (her sisters come rather forcibly to mind) don't tend to last long. Female compassion is an ephemeral, transient thing, but a mallet is a mallet.

Misty and I were actually best friends, to the shock of all who knew us. Outsiders only saw the bickering, the well constructed, logical arguments (me) and the childish obstinacy (Misty). They also saw us as complete, social opposites with Misty being rich (compared to me), good at school (compared to me) and attractive (again, compared to me. Most people look good compared to me, the assholes). I was... me. Ash. A loser and a freak to those who didn't know me and an unstable freak to those who did. But Mist was more like me in the ways that counted. She didn't let assholes tell her who to be, she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in, and she was stubborn as all hell. Despite this, she could be incredibly kind and caring if you got her in the right mood.

Not that I'd ever tell her that. I was having much too much fun bickering with her to get all serious.

You speak of the devil, and there she is. At 5'7" she wasn't the tallest girl on earth, but it was easy to lose track of that when she was angry. She was also a half-inch taller than me... for now. Stupid girls. Stupid puberty.

She was dressed well, but still forwent a skirt—I guess pants were just one more way of telling the world not to assume she was weak. I knew a defence mechanism when I saw one. She had, however, started to wear her hair down about a year ago; instead of the side-ponytail thing she had kept it in when we were kids. Gary had made one crack about it being called "Ash's handlebar" and the next day he was in the hospital and the ponytail was gone.

She looks pissed off as I sneak up on her from behind, and I can hear her muttering.

"Where the hell is he? He had better not skip again!"

I come up behind her, slip my arms under hers so she can't hit me, and cover her eyes. She stiffens immediately getting ready to either scream or (more likely) bite.

"Okay, you get three guesses... and I'm not Batman."

She relaxes as soon as she hears my voice. I let her go and she whirls around, half angry, half laughing.

"You're right. You're just an asshole."

Misty smiles at me, and I know then I'm safe. I was worried there for a second. After I grabbed her she seemed redder than usual. I had assumed anger, but maybe she was just embarrassed at being caught off guard.

We walked to class together. I try to skip when I can—our kindly, loving government doesn't really give a shit if AK117-261-338 (yours truly) shows up or not, however ditching class in front of Misty is a sure-fire recipe for pain. As the class representative, it is her duty to "ensure the respect of all students towards blah blah stop skipping Ash!" I get the same lecture every time.

We get a few odd looks as we walk down the hall, but no one talks to us. Alright, correction, no one talks to me. Misty just happens to be caught in my "don't approach the loser" zone. She actually has plenty of friends; it's just that a lot have them have heard the rumours of what I was like after the... incident... and so spend most of their time surreptitiously trying to find out if I'm beating her. I don't know why, anyone who tries to rape Misty is going to find out what it feels like to be stabbed in the face with the remains of their own genitals.

Eugh. What an image.

Anyway, the point is that most of Misty's friends won't go near me except to make sure Misty's OK. Well, none of them except-

"Hey Ash. I see you've got on your best morning scowl. So are you trying to scare children and bruise fruit or does it just happen?"

Gary Motherfriggin' Oak .

"You wanna see bruises then just keep talking Gary."

"Ooh someone's angry." he smarms up to me. Don't ask me how anyone can smarm, he just does. "You seem tense man. Lose the edge."

Gary is a playboy's playboy. He charms women a decade older than him, which is actually sort of creepy. Being the grandson of a famous researcher, and a rich one at that, did not hurt. Misty and I had a bet on what STD he'd die of first. Whichever one it was, I hope it hurt.

But he was still a friend... sort of.

In the end he walked to class with us. I was now getting death glares from the entire student body. I guess losers aren't supposed to walk with the popular set, even if they are as weird as me. Ok, fine, I get it, I'm weird! How am I supposed to change if everyone assumes I can't?

Class was probably about the same. I say probably because I didn't really listen. History of the alliance, advanced tactical theory, Ki manipulation, release manifestation... half of it I knew and the other half didn't apply to me. I may not be the greatest student of earth, but I learned long ago what to listen to and what to tune out. I knew most tactics like the back of my hand, as well as a few things you can only pick up on the street. Fighting fair is for people who like picking their teeth up out of the gutter.

As for Ki... I'd never been able to use it. The manipulation of internal energies was apparently something I couldn't do. No flames from my fingertips or swords made of light for Ash... which was probably for the best. I was prohibited from entering official academy battles which led those who didn't know me to look down on me. The consensus seemed to be "He's weak but crazy. Stay away." Even for people I'd beaten up in the past. I can say this for not having Ki, you sure learn to deal with pain fast. As if I'd needed more lessons for that.

The day finally ended. I usually go back to the orphanage straight after, but Misty said she had something to show me after sports. She's on the swim team and she's always practicing. I find just watching it exhausting, so I went to go check on my pokemon while she swam.

After she was finished we started walking. She actually lived in dorms, but being male I couldn't follow her in there, and I don't let her come to the orphanage for obvious reasons. I like to walk around town though, and Misty and I don't really have much time to hang out anymore. She works her ass off and I try to avoid people, so it's no surprise that we've been spending less and less time together. There's also the fact that puberty has made things... weird between us. I hope Mist doesn't become like her sisters. I've never met them, but I hear the stories, and I'm just not sure how long I could talk about shoes. Ten seconds is my current guess. I noticed that our walk was taking us deeper into what passes for a shopping district in Pallet.

Later, after my life started taking some odd fucking turns, I would wonder what would have happened if I'd let Mist go home alone. I would have lost a friend, and maybe nothing else would have changed... but I can't help wondering if things could have been different. I don't regret it, it just makes me wonder.

The first sign I had of any weirdness was the pulse. Misty was ahead of me, her orange hair awash with the glow of the setting sun. I was just about to call out to her when the whole world tilted, and flashed a weird shade of blue. I staggered, trying to keep myself upright. Black lines crept into the edge of my vision. I looked up at Misty-

_The girl is dead._

What?

_The girl is dead. She just doesn't know it yet._

Am I hearing things now?

_I can taste the death on her. Her agony will be beautiful._

What the fuck was this?

Misty turns around to me and smiles a little worriedly. "What's the matter slowpoke?"

I wasn't listening to Misty. I had just seen the car. Jet black and threatening, it was bearing down on her with a speed I knew I couldn't match. The idiot driving was going much too fast, and probably wouldn't even know Misty was there until he killed her.

I started to run. I shouted something incoherent. Misty began to turn, but she'd never have time to move.

_You want to save her?_

I have to.

_Use me._

I can't let her die!

_Need me._

Shitshitshit I am so not going to make this.

_Embrace me._

I gathered up all my energy for one desperate dive.

_Unleash me._

I felt power course through me. Somehow I had gotten to Misty and thrown her clear. Of course, on the downside that meant I was right in front of the car. I only had enough time for one moment of triumph before an incredible pain lanced through my body. The last thing I remember was hearing laughter. Laughter and screaming.

Then the world turned black and mercifully, I passed out.

* * *

><p>The man stood on the hill overlooking the city. With his face covered it was impossible to tell his age or his looks, put he managed to convey a sense of intimidating power nonetheless.<p>

Just as the sun was setting, he felt it. A surge of power. He had come here knowing something important was coming. He didn't know what, but he had the unpleasant suspicion that he was about to find out.

His pokemon, who up until this point had been lying quietly by his side, spoke in his mind.

_Master, it has begun._

The man sighed.

_I know, old friend. May the gods have mercy on us, I know._


	2. Chapter 2: The Dark Half

**2-The Dark Half**

"_**There were days when I stopped believing. Days when I would have given anything to just be allowed to die. To not have to be the strong one. But somehow when the pain and the dark got too much to bear, I would think about Misty, May and Dawn, about Gary, about my Mother... about all the people who trusted me to be there. And then I would get back up and keep fighting."**_

_**-Ash Ketchum**_

_The shadows were everywhere. That's all I can remember when I'm awake._

_I'm surrounded, but that isn't really important. I don't stay here because they physically surround me, I stay because I'm bound to this place. Bound to them. They are a part of me in more ways than I would like to admit._

_It isn't really the physical sense of things that matters here anyway. Thoughts have power. Pain has power. Dreams don't exist here as far as I can tell, but nightmares are god. But the pain and the rage aren't nearly as bad as the hideous, treacherous thought that maybe I belong here. That maybe I deserve this._

_They tell me things. About who to be and what to do. I'm getting stronger, I know I am, but how can I fight these things on their home turf? They don't even require physical form here._

"_Little one"_

_I shiver. I hate that voice. It isn't any one of them, it's all of them together speaking to me. Instructing me._

"_Repeat after us. You are a tool of death. Death is all you are and all you know."_

"_Death..." I mutter weakly._

"_You will never know mercy, tolerance or compassion. These things are not for you. You must end those who feel them."_

"_Mercy...end, the, the end...not for me..."_

"_You will never love, you will never be loved."_

"_..."_

"_You will always be different. You will always be alone."_

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><p>I woke up so fast that I knocked Misty out of her chair.<p>

The hospital room was exactly as I imagine most are. Clean, white, and dead. Here and there were little touches to make it look less impersonal- a brightly coloured nutrition chart on one wall, some curtains near the window- but the overall effect just made it worse. Like putting a clown mask on a corpse.

The startled, sleepy, pissed off red-head picked herself up off the floor, but dropped the frown when she saw I was awake.

"Ash! Ash, are you alright?"

"I'm-" I was about to say I was fine, but at that moment my nerve endings decided that this would be a lovely time to cripple me. Pain flashed through my entire body, although it seemed to be the worst on the left. I must have gotten hit there. I collapse back onto the bed.

"-just great." I say weakly. Misty obviously does not believe me.

"I'm going to get the nurse."

She tries to leave, but I manage to snag her wrist on the way past. As she looks at me questioningly, I shake my head. "Don't. They'll just want to sedate me and I don't feel like sleeping right now." She nods and sits back down.

"Are you really alright?"

"I'm fine." I say and grin. "Just a little tired from having to shove your fat ass."

She looks at me in shock. "What?"

"You heard me. Your sisters are right Mist, you do need to lose some weight. I'm exhausted."

Her shock is quickly overtaken by anger, as she picks me up by my hospital gown and starts shaking me.

"You asshole! Do you have any idea how worried I was? And you open your idiot mouth to insult me? Do you want me to finish you off?"

"Yeah, but" I smile "you aren't worried now right?"

We look at each other for a second before simultaneously breaking out in laughter. She drops me back to the bed, much more gently than she picked me up. Misty tells me I've been out for three days and that I'm lucky to be alive. Apparently this little fuckup is going to leave some scars. Joy. I was looking to add to my collection.

The nurse comes in, and I refuse the sedative. They run some tests. I'll be fine, but they're talking about a month's stay, cranial haematoma, traction, hairline fractures, corrective surgery... right. I'll be out of here in a week, two at max. I heal fast, and if the doctor doesn't like it, he can go suck a catheter.

I tell Misty to go back to her dorm. She looks as if she's had shitty sleep for the last three days, and there isn't much she can do here. We trade a few insults, but honestly my heart isn't in it. I'm too tired and too glad to see her alive. She must have felt the same way, because she soon stops her tirade.

"Ash?"

"Yeah Mist?" I reply sleepily. I wake up fast when she leans over and hugs me.

"Thank you."

For a moment, I'm too shocked to move. Misty and I usually show affection through taunting; she must have been more worried than I had thought. I couldn't have looked that bad, could I? I push these thoughts aside as I hesitantly slide a hand up to her back and reply:

"No worries Mist. Just... just watch out next time alright? I haven't got enough friends to lose one."

She smiles, says she'll be careful, and leaves. I am tired, exhausted really, but somehow sleep won't come. I keep thinking about the accident... and more specifically what was wrong with the accident. Why aren't I more hurt than I am? That car was travelling at killing speeds, and here I am with a barely noticed fracture in my left arm and a lot of bruising. Misty hadn't had the best view of the accident, and the cops hadn't managed to ID the driver yet, although they were looking for the car. Judging by the fact I was in one piece, I must've hit high and been rolled... now there's a thought. The ground probably did more damage to me than the car. But how had I managed to get high if I'd been diving? I must have jumped harder than I'd-

Oh.

Oh Christ, the jump.

The voice.

_I was wondering when you'd remember me._

Suddenly the pain in my left side is blinding. My entire body tenses, and it hurts so badly I can't even scream.

_Sorry 'bout that old chum. I'm more used to the shadows of our mind. Direct interface with the body is something I'm still getting used to._

Yeah, you and me both.

_No need to be sarcastic, although the anger is nice. We always did have the tastiest emotions._

OK, the whole voice in my head thing is starting to wear thin. I close my eyes and try to ignore it.

_Ignore me? I'm offended._

What the hell are you?

_A better question would be what are we, Ash. We are everything that is right in this world. We are the future. We are the new God, and now that our awakening has begun our world is coming._

"We" are nothing. You are a psycho.

_Enough of the "you" shit Ash. I am you and you know it. You've always known it. Just as you've always known that one day you were going to have to stop running and fight. I've been waiting for you Ash. Waiting for us._

You're still a psycho.

_Alright, fine. Have it your way. But if you absolutely must pretend our mentalities are distinct, at least quit with "you". Give me a name._

I gave it several. It didn't find them funny.

_Is profanity really the only recourse? Fine then. To you I will be Kaelus. Now get some rest Ash. I have plans for us._

The voice, or presence, or whatever it was seemed to leave me. I didn't get much rest, however. Not that night.

Not for many nights to come.


	3. Chapter 3: They Call Him The Seeker

**3- They Call Him The Seeker**

"_**People often asked me what Ash's problem was. I wonder if any of them truly understood the complexity of the answer to that question. I don't really feel capable of summarizing, but if I had to I would say this: Ash has never forgiven himself. He's never forgiven himself for anything."**_

_**-Gary Oak**_

Gary brought a basket of fruit, which sounds nice unless you know Gary. He had arranged two oranges around a banana so that... never mind. Do not even ask what he did with the melon.

After escorting the blushing, laughing nurse out of my room, he got to talking. It was the usual gruff, male bullshit in which he managed to ascertain that I was fine without asking. I was actually being discharged that afternoon, by which I meant I had announced to the nurse that I was damn well discharging myself this afternoon. She had objected, but I threatened to sic Gary's melon on her. I really didn't like hospitals. They had bled me until I couldn't stand up, and then prodded until I couldn't sit down.

"I wouldn't berate yourself overmuch on missing a week of curriculum, Ketchum. It was mostly Gramps droning on about old legends again" Gary had informed me. Which wasn't exactly fair. Samuel Oak was one of the greatest Pokemon experts of all time, as well as being a survivor of the last war.

Gary grinned at me. "I did, however, get nearly a centimeter closer to my goal."

Ah, yes, the plan. Gary had the crazy idea that he was going to inch his desk slightly towards the left every day until he was sitting in Marina Tesuka's lap. It wasn't going to work for several reasons. Firstly Marina's boyfriend Kenta (known to all as Jimmy for some inexplicable reason) would kick eight colours of shit out of Gary. Secondly, I had worked out that at Gary's current rate of attack, he would be in Marina's lap by the time we were about twenty-eight. A glacier would be faster... and probably more likely to succeed. I will give Gary this though, it didn't matter to him if he actually succeeded, it was the hunt that drove him.

"And then I will woo Giselle. She will play an excellent queen to my king. And all shall know me as Gary Oak: Champion Romantic."

"Sure they will, Gare-Bear. And after Giselle's Cubone tears off your head and shits down your neck, we will write on your tombstone: 'Gary Oak: Champion Muff Diver'."

He glares at me, as much for the nickname as the comment. The he sniffs.

"Your jealousy is a painful thing to watch Ketchum."

Gary had actually taught me most of what I know about sex, which was far more than I wanted to know about sex. Although in some cases Misty had had to unteach me a few of the things he had taught me. I mean, I had guessed that the G in G-spot did not stand for "Gary", but asking Misty had turned out more embarrassing than planned.

Late morning slowly bleeds into early afternoon. I start preparing to leave, which consists of putting on the clothes Gary brought and then telling the nurse I'm leaving. I have to walk home, as no one is going to come get me. Michael called once to see if I was OK, but no one from "Home" showed up in person. It was alright. Michael was far too busy to leave the orphanage alone, and everyone else there was either too young to come alone or didn't give a damn about me. I guess it's part of the reason that Gary came today in the first place- he wanted to make sure I wasn't about to keel over and die on the walk back to the orphanage. I asked him why he wasn't in class and he started rambling about how all the beauties would have to wait while he ensured the continued survival of his number one wingman. I guess I was good for Gary's love life at that- the girls thought it was cute the way he was so kind to the freak. It would vex me if I thought that pity was really the only reason he hung out with me. As it was I just kept my mouth shut and let Gary do his thing. There weren't many benefits to being a known Ash-friend and I let Gary take what perks he could get.

We walk. As I believe I have mentioned Pallet was not much of a metropolis. It's jammed awkwardly between being a town and being a city, mostly due to the academy. The Regional Alliance Acadamy of Kanto (it's a great school- all the girls have big RAAKs) wasn't the biggest Alliance installation in the region, but it did service the entire southern reach. There was a larger facility in Saffron (the Academic Society of Saffron, every girl there has a big... well, you get it) but it only pandered to the core cities, and I've heard the elitism there has gotten pretty bad. The Academy was basically a converted military base, and the horrifically cheery slogans which promoted inter-regional cooperation didn't really fool anyone. The last war had petered out fifty years ago, and hadn't had a clear victor. Nowadays Kanto was practically a military state, Johto was falling apart at the seams, Hoenn, though peaceful, was always raising shit in the other three nations and the royal family of Sinnoh had degraded so far that a civil war was almost certain. War could burst out at any time, and the Academy was a constant reminder of that- our beloved government needed plenty of fresh young trainers to throw into the meat grinder.

That's a bit unfair. Fifty or sixty years ago I could have seriously been in danger of having Pallet burned down around me. In fact Johto had managed to destroy most of north-eastern Kanto until the members of Indigo Force were finally mobilized to boot them out in what is now known as the Cerulean relief. These days the military corps and trainer forces mainly focus on watching the borders, holding on to our Orre territories and spying on each other. Pallet is pretty peaceful though- the paranoid nutcases tend to gravitate towards Saffron and Vermillion. Cerulean and most of the south-eastern reach are still being rebuilt, so they're nice enough, if a little rustic. Pallet is one hell of a party town- we have a restaurant _and_ a field.

Sigh.

Gary and I finally reach the orphanage and I head up to my room. Michael gives me a nod but doesn't say anything- he's busy trying to get Ada to stop biting Timmy. My room is fairly bare, so Gary and I have our choice of sitting on the floor or on the pallet I laughingly refer to as a bed. In light of my condition Gary cedes the pallet to me and sits on the floor.

"I like what you've done to the place. All the diamond chandeliers and hot-tubs you used to have were so tacky- the empty space look really suits you."

"Shut up Gary."

"No seriously, did you feng shui? I feel a much greater spirit energy emanating from your one possession."

Gary has always been a bit of a flippant dickhead around me, in case you couldn't tell. It's easy to forget how perceptive he can be, and he'll occasionally blindside me with a serious comment interjected into his usual bullshit, kind of like now:

"It's a good thing you didn't die, Ketchum." He says quietly.

"Um... thanks?"

He turns to me, worry lancing through his usually placid eyes.

"This makes it twice now. Twice that we nearly lost you."

By "we", I assume that he means Himself and Misty. For a second, I feel dizzy and the room tilts a little. I remember the other incident that he's referring to, although I would rather forget it. I do a lot of that—forgetting, that is. Most of my early childhood is an unpleasant fog, and my memories don't really get going until age nine or ten. Gary is referring to the time I had saved him from a wild Nidoking he had been unfortunate enough to encounter in the woods. Ten and a half years old and I had thrown a rock at the damn thing and then run for my life. Still don't know what the hell I'd been thinking, but it had netted me the extremely impressive claw marks on my stomach and the friendship of a penis who walks like a man.

"Well, they say the third time's the charm."

He glares at me.

"Okay, okay, I'll be more careful the next time I jump in front of a car, alright?"

He snorts.

"It'll have to do. Kudos on getting a hand full of Misty, however." He leers at me. "So Ashy, did you grab a good bit? She's a late bloomer but-"

On that note, I unceremoniously kick his ass out of my room. Serious moments between Gary and I are awkward and thankfully rare. He yells through my door- something about "suckling her buds"- and leaves.

I lie back on my "bed" and just let my mind wander. I find it pleasant sometimes to just let the noise of the world fade, and try to let my consciousness unfocus. It helps keep the anger and the fear in check, and I find it very rela-

"Ash!" Timmy screams from downstairs, in the mightiest voice his midget lungs can muster. "Some creepy old man wants you!"

I sigh, the moment ruined. I can't help but be curious though, visitors are very rare here, and visitors who aren't Gary are almost non-existent. If it was anyone else I might think that the "creepy old man wants you" thing was some sort of joke, but Timmy hasn't got the imagination to lie.

I make my way downstairs to find that there is indeed a man down there that I do not recognize. He isn't that old- I would guess about thirty- but he does seem to project a feeling of wisdom beyond his years. I've never trusted first impressions though, so I observe him slightly more closely.

He isn't creepy either, at least not in the conventional sense. I search for an appropriate word to describe him, and eventually settle on "otherworldly". He has grey hair and pale skin, with eyes that seem to look through you rather than at you. He's clothed in a full body robe, and I notice a dark blue hat and a travelling cloak on the rack near the door.

"_Why does he need a hat when his robe has a hood?"_ I muse silently as I finally come to meet his gaze. Trying to keep from looking away is difficult, but I manage eventually. He combines very exotic good looks with an aura of power that would intrigue most women and piss off most men, but just makes me think _"Warning: dangerous. Think carefully before you open your mouth, Ketchum."_

Michael, who has been leaning against the wall, clears his throat.

"This is Riley, Ash. He asked if he could speak with you. Privately."

I stare at Riley suspiciously for a few more seconds before turning to Michael.

"And I'm supposed to go off alone with someone I don't know? Why did you even let him in here?"

"He has some... impressive clearance with the indigo force."

My eyes narrow further. Indigo force has some of the best men, women and pokemon in the entire region, but that doesn't mean I want one of them asking about me. Each and every one of them is a highly trained killer and they are very good at what they do.

"That doesn't mean-"

"I can help you understand some of the... odder side effects of your accident, Ash." He says, interrupting me. I turn to face him slowly. His eyes are impassive, and he merely looks back at me. Michael shifts uncomfortably.

"Ash? What does he-"

"It's nothing, Michael. Me and this... gentleman are going for a walk."

"Are you sure? I could-" I shake my head, cutting him off. "Okay. If you're sure. Be back before curfew."

I put on my shoes and he puts on his hat. We head out. I lead the walk, and I try to keep it to well lit areas- I still don't know this guy and I sure as hell don't trust him.

He sighs.

"I always did like Pallet. It's more mechanized now, but still peaceful."

I stay silent.

"Peace is hard to find these days."

Finally, I speak up. "Who are you and what do you know?"

He laughs. "So blunt! I guess it isn't surprising considering your circumstances."

My circumstances? Who the fuck did this guy think he was? I get my anger under control and manage to repeat my question without snarling.

"Who are you and what do you know?"

He sighs. "My name is Riley Gen and I'm best known in Sinnoh. As for why I'm here, well, let's just say that I'm probably the only man in Pallet who can help you with the weird shit that's been happening to you." He turns to me. "How has it started Ash? To many it's a vision... or maybe you did something you shouldn't have been able to do? Knew something you couldn't have known?"

I stop walking, and again try to read his eyes. I do a little better this time. He's watching for something, testing me. Well the hell with that. He came to me, and I'm going to get some answers.

"What's happening to me?" I ask quietly.

He smiles at me reassuringly. "Something frightening, but extremely worthwhile if you can face up to it. You've begun awakening. You're very late- most with the talent display it first as children- but I am confident we can make up for lost time."

I stare at him. "Talent for what?" I ask, suspicious.

He sits down on one of the park benches littered throughout Pallet and motions for me to do the same. I sit. He remains quiet for a few seconds before asking me: "Ash, what is Ki?"

The question surprises me, but I figure it's harmless enough. "Ki is the physical, mental or spiritual manifestation of internal energies. It allows us to harness our own power to manipulate the physical world. It also helps us battle alongside our pokemon."

"Well you've at least paid attention in school. You're answer is both right and wrong. Ki is a bastard. It's a pale imitation of something far greater, and its use has been developed over centuries for the purpose of supplying cheap power to the masses- the power to destroy, mainly."

I didn't let on, but on the inside I was shocked. I had always been bitter about being unable to manipulate Ki- as far as I knew, I was the only person who didn't have any- and hearing this guy bash it was a shock. Society was structured around the damn stuff.

"Ash, do you ever wonder why you can't use Ki? Everyone can. Admittedly most people don't have much, or have very poor control over it, but everyone has it- except you."

Yeah, way to rub it in. I just grunt at him.

"Your also allowed to stay in one of the prestigious trainer academies of Kanto. Why? Didn't you ever wonder?"

"Yeah. Yeah I wondered. But it makes sense." I continue. "They were curious. They don't know why I don't have any Ki and they want me close at hand so they can find what makes me tick. I'm a fucking lab rat. That, and I guess the fact that I have an unusually deep connection with my pokemon". Even though I only had two. Pikachu was my faithful yellow rat, and had stuck with me through thick and thin, despite nearly killing me on day one. Eevee I had protected from some punks who were stoning it to death, and from that day on it refused to leave me alone until I caught it. Both pokemon were a little odd- Pikachu could damn near read my mind in battles (back when I was allowed in battles) and Eevee was the most aggressive member of its usually docile species I had ever seen. Despite the fact that I quarrelled with them endlessly, they were probably the only things on earth I could say that I loved without hesitation.

"Personally, I'm not surprised in the least that you don't have Ki. I can create attacks more powerful than you could believe... and my own Ki is incredibly weak. Far too weak to get into somewhere like the Academy. And you, apparently, are completely free of the taint of Ki."

I look at him balefully and sigh. "Look" I say "I don't know why anyone from Indigo force would bother wasting their time by finding me, researching me, and then trying to fuck with my head. But whatever your game is, stop."

He continues as if he hadn't heard me. "You have a far, far rarer talent than mere Ki manipulation Ash. You are something that only maybe a dozen other humans can claim to be. You are an aura user. In time, and with guidance, you may become an aura guardian."

I stare at him for nearly a full minute, waiting for the punch line. It eventually occurs to me that he's serious. "Aura is a myth."

"So you have heard of it. What do you know?"

"Aura is a myth. A fiction. A _deus ex machina_ used to explain away some of the phenomena observed during the Dark Wars nearly a millennia ago."

"They even taught you about the Dark Wars? I underestimated the educational system. What did they tell you?"

"The Dark Wars were a series of conflicts between powerful Ki users. They occurred at the end of the twilight ages and ushered in the modern era. They were mainly fought between Sir Aaron the Red and a group of unknown dark Ki users from the north. Over time the details of the war got confused, and people attributed all sorts of things to it- space and time bending, enormous scars in the earth, climate fluctuations- aura was invented as a sort of new age Aether, used to explain away all the things that couldn't be understood."

Riley actually clapped.

"Beautiful! A beautiful lie, which is both understandable and believable without being right in any way whatsoever." He looks at me seriously. "Aura is far more than a lie. It's the force that holds everything together, the energy that gives the universe a purpose. It exists in everything and everyone, and all things, living and non, change it merely by existing. But those who can bend it to their will, those who can shape it... we are the aura guardians and we are responsible for its balance."

This being said, he extended his palm out in front of him. A shape appeared out of nowhere, a light blue spheroid. It pulsed and whirled, as if it were alive. It looked like Ki... but it sure as hell didn't feel like Ki. It felt... odd somehow. As if it was resonating with me, as if I could close my eyes and feel it as a part of me. Riley smiled.

"This is an Aura Sphere Ash. This is your first step into the world of Aura."

I didn't bother correcting him. My first step into the world of Aura had led me into the path of a car and left me at the mercy of a fate I barely understood.

* * *

><p>It was much later. I was sitting in bed, staring at the ceiling.<p>

"_I can train you Ash. I can make you strong."_ Riley had handed me a small, black cell phone.

"_Think of this as a present. There's a number in here that will reach me. If you can face up to your destiny then we'll begin. If not... well at least you get a free phone."_

And with that he had disappeared into the night. Dealing with Michael hadn't been hard, I'd told him that Riley was an instructor who was curious to see how his regimen would affect someone with no Ki, and that I was considering the offer.

"_I can make you strong"_

I closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. For some reason I kept thinking about powers that couldn't exist and battles that I hadn't been alive for.

Silently I rolled over, and just stared out of my window at the stars. They always seemed to know exactly where they belonged... which, I suppose, was all I'd ever really wanted.


	4. Chapter 4: Hearts of Glass

**4-Hearts of Glass**

"_**Knowing Ash was always a hassle. He's annoying, weird, obstinate, argumentative, dense, immature, brash, irresponsible, compassionate, caring, sympathetic, brave, cute...mmm... wait, what?"**_

_**-Misty Waterflower**_

School is a bitch.

Alright, I realize that that isn't a particularly insightful comment, but at least it's succinct. And accurate. I'm sitting in the back row idly wondering how long a human brain can go without oxygen. Up front Mr. Tokiwa is describing the illicit pleasures to be found in doing tensor calculus. Exactly what this has to do with catching wild beasts in little balls and training them to smite our enemies is left unclear. I prefer learning about berries and plant care with Ms. Tamamushi, or advanced battle tactics with Blaine and the Lieutenant. Ms. Tamamushi is pleasant and calming even when talking about what poisons we're likely to die from. Blaine and the Lt. are... well they're insane, but in a good way. Advanced battle tactics sounds hard, but all you have to do is ask them which one of them is stronger, and then sit back and watch the show.

Misty is up front doing the whole "good student" thing. Gary appears to be paying attention, but with a micrometer and a lot of patience you could probably see that he is entirely focused on Marina. He's slowly-

"Ketchum!" Tokiwa yells at me.

Ah, shit.

"Yes?"

"I'm sure that whatever you're thinking about is interesting, but why don't you come to the front and give us all a good laugh by solving this problem?"

The class laughs. The class likes to laugh at me. I sigh, stand up, and approach the board. I wasn't paying attention, but the problem doesn't look so bad... I could probably solve it, by why bother? Tokiwa already has me pegged as an idiot, and I learned long ago that challenging an adult's view of the world doesn't accomplish anything. Besides, the punishment for failing here isn't so great, but if I succeed he'll try to trip me up later. I reach the board and decide the best way to handle this is to wing it. I start drawing a smiley face where the answer should go.

Tokiwa makes a big deal out of frowning, but if you watch his eyes you can see that he's pleased. I'm a moron; the world works the way it should. Hallelujah.

"If you're ignorance is too great for you to understand basic math, all you have to do is say so Ketchum."

"Just give me a little more time sir- I think I'm close."

Having said this, I painstakingly draw an equal sign next to the smiley face and then draw a sad face.

"You know Ketchum, I don't think you're being completely serious about tensor calculus."

"My apologies sir. I'm not feeling very tense today."

Again the class laughs nervously and I'm told to go stand outside. I couldn't care less about what Tokiwa thinks of me, but I curse silently as I walk past Misty's desk and catch a glimpse of the look she's giving me. Because of the hospital stay I'm overdue for the "wasting your life" speech.

Sure enough, when the lunch bell goes Misty heads straight for me. I look for aid from Gary but he won't meet my eyes, the coward. Misty slams her lunch down on my desk, pulls out a seat and sits down. Those in close proximity to us flee.

She looks at me, and takes a breath. I know I have to act now before she gets a good head of steam up.

"Drop it." I say quietly. She looks at me as if I'm crazy.

"Ash, you're-"

"Wasting my life. I know. I could have solved the problem. I could buckle up, improve my grades, get a haircut, stop swearing, get a low paying job out of pity, work my ass off for the next fifty years, and die." I turn to her. "Drop it Misty. Please. I'm not worth it."

She explodes at me. Tells me about all the great things I'm missing by being a dick. Security, wealth, a future, children... things that life never meant for me to have. Damn it all, I do not want to get into this!

"...and a family! You could be a dad someday- isn't that worth working for Ash?" She risks a small smile.

I'm not sure if horror or anger dominates my face. "Sweet Arceus no! Mew Misty, one of me is bad enough, and you want me to fuck up whatever poor bastard has the bad luck to be my kid? The hell with family! I'm better off alone."

For just a second she looks really, really hurt. As much as I fight with Misty I hate it when I actually manage to hurt her. Usually it involves a side of me I'm not proud of. This time though I have no idea what I've said that's so wrong. I'm about to say something, anything, to make this better, but Misty finds her voice first.

"Fine!" She yells and storms off.

Well, guess that shuts me up.

Gary slinks back in after Misty walks off. He keeps looking over his shoulder as if he's terrified of her coming back.

"Dude, you are the freaking maestro of her emotions. What the hell did you say?"

"I wish I knew." I sigh and let my head fall to the desk in front of me. "I do not understand girls in the slightest."

Class starts up again. Misty comes back in just before the bell rings, proving how pissed she is. Normally she'd be here early to prepare. I just rest my head against my arms and try to sleep.

_Are you two always like this? It's better than cable._

"_Shut the hell up, you. I almost thought I'd just hallucinated you."_

_Mmm, no such luck my friend. I'm with you until death do us part. Or at least until significant dismemberment does you part- if I can find a way to leave during that bit I will._

"_Maybe I'll call Riley so he can shove the Aura equivalent of a spike up your ass. There's got to be some way to do a 'Fucked-up voice in my head'-ectomy."_

_Riley_. The voice hisses._ Be wary of that one. He holds much we can use but... he has his own agenda._

"_Everyone does. I don't need to be told to be careful, but I need to understand what's happening to me. The weird dreams, the pulses, you- what is all this?"_

_Don't lie to yourself Ash. You merely wish to go to Riley so that you can learn what everyone has always looked down on you for not having. You want to hurt everyone who's wronged you. _Said Kaelus, neatly dodging the question.

"_Wanting to be able to protect myself isn't a crime. This aura thing is apparently rare, and rare things attract curiosity. From good people and from bad."_

_You would know. How many years have you been attacked and made fun of for being "rare"? And what makes you think you can trust Riley anyway? He was hiding something._

"_So was I. And I don't trust him... I just think I need him. Anyone as connected as he seems to be can get me answers."_

_He's using you._

"_Yeah, well it's nice that someone finally thinks I'm worth using. Now get back in my subconscious."_

_Fine! Going. Nice work with the red-head by the way- you really don't get it do you? You're so perceptive elsewhere, and yet she is one big, beautiful blind spot. I'm sure she feels real appreciated when you ignore the hints she practically vomits at you._

"_What do you mean?"_

_Nope! Can't stay. Getting back to the subconscious now!_

And with that he was gone. What was his problem? I appreciate the hell out of Misty. It's just that she keeps trying to get involved with my personal life, which was an emotional minefield if ever there was one. Maybe she-

"Ash?"

I'm startled out of my reverie by a prod from Gary.

"Are you Okay? You looked... lost."

"I'm fine." I lie. "What is it?"

"School is over. Everyone's gone."

I look around and see that he's right. Misty hasn't waited for me either... another bad sign. I pack up my things and leave. On the walk back I think about Misty and Kaelus and Riley. I'm so lost in thought that I don't see the people waiting for me until it's too late.

"Evening Ketchum."

It's that shithead Richie and some of his cronies. Richie is a mean, weak, effeminate piece of trash, but he's rich and his dad can afford to buy a lot of loyalty. He's had it in for me ever since I managed to make him look stupid in front of most of our grade. I never did know when to shut up.

There are five of them in total, which is actually good for my purposes. We're in a fairly cramped alley downtown (I always have had a weakness for short-cuts) and they won't be able to use flashy Ki moves without hitting each other. If I can just get them in each other's way, then I can run. I slow my breathing and let my muscles relax. I widen my stance a bit and let my shoulders slide back. I know I'm not getting out of this without a fight, so I've got nothing to lose by making him a little angry. Trust me, it clouds the judgement.

"What up, shithead. Shouldn't you be at home so daddy can protect you? Or is he too busy whoring out your mom?"

Well, if the plan was to get him angry, I had succeeded. He orders his idiots to attack.

I'd heard one of them trying to sneak up behind me, so instead of countering the first rush at me, I merely sidestep. The guy who rushed me ended up crashing into the guy behind me. Ritchie and the other two are a little smarter. One comes at me, but stays out of my range, just trying to distract me. Richie and the other one- you know, let's just call him Goon- are getting ready to summon some form of Ki.

I lunge and grab the guy trying to distract me. I decide to put him to good use, and toss him into Richie, just as Richie was releasing his Ki. It was some sort of fire manifestation, and it detonates on the henchmen, catching him and Ritchie in the blast. I hit the ground as whatever Goon was throwing at me slices into the wall- probably a wind technique.

I get up fast and manage to catch Goon unaware. I kick him hard in the kneecap, and shove his head into the wall. He slumps, and I think he's out of the fight for now. I turn around and see that Richie has gotten up, although his three companions are still on the ground dazed- they probably didn't think that one guy who couldn't use Ki would put up a fight. I know that Richie is serious now, and if I don't end this here he's going to dump a whole load of Ki fuelled pain onto me. He underestimated me, and he isn't going to make that mistake twice. I close the distance between us and ram my fist into his gut-

Hard.

Much too hard.

I have that same feeling I got when saving Misty, the feeling that the world was not quite right. I hear something in Richie's abdomen break- I think it was a rib- and he vomits blood down my shirt. I'm shocked that whatever I did worked so well, but I'm also a little horrified. The street fighter in me can't resist an opportunity however, and I knee him in the balls before running. I don't think that there's a cop on earth who'd believe that I just beat five Ki users with my bare hands (and a little creative knee work) but at least three of them were still basically okay, and I did not want to be there when they remembered that they could just back off and blast me from a distance.

I end up in one of the parks. Pallet is filled with them, because it's easier to call it a park than to try to actually rebuild on it. This park is one of the less populated ones- I'm covered in blood and I don't want questions right now. Misty and I visit this park a lot when we need quiet, and I think I deserve a little quiet after that.

Something was up with that blow Richie took. I may just be confused about my accident, and Kaelus I could pass off as a mental disorder or something, but I had hit Ritchie way harder than I had meant to- way harder than I thought I was capable of. I keep myself in fairly decent shape considering how little I get to eat, but no human should be able to hit that hard without Ki... or aura.

My train of thought is disrupted as I hear someone else walking along the path. I glance up, thinking for a second that maybe Ritchie's group had managed to follow me after all. It isn't Ritchie though, it's Misty. She's ambling along with her head down, and she looks really sad. I would love nothing more at this moment than to hide in the bushes and hope she passes by, but I can't seem to ignore the look on her face. Steeling myself, I greet her.

"Hey Mist."

She looks up in surprise, then anger.

"Oh. It's you."

Crap. This is going to be worse than I thought.

"Have a seat?"

She sits down, but doesn't say anything.

"Look, Misty, whatever it is I've done this time, I'm sorry. I just get... tired sometimes. Tired and angry. I attract cruelty and ignorance because of something I was born lacking, and then you tell me I can have all the things I know I'll never get... and I just sort of snapped okay? I'm sorry."

She remains quiet for a few seconds and then asks me "Did you mean it when you said you'd be better off without me?"

"I didn't say that."

"You said you were better off alone."

"I meant that it's better for everyone if I'm alone. Face it Mist, I'm not the greatest friend."

She rounds on me angrily.

"That isn't true! Don't you already have enough people putting you down? Why can't you just believe in yourself for once? Why can't you-" Her Eyes go wide "Ash, what happened?"

Oh right, the blood.

"Ritchie."

"Are you-"

"I'm fine. One of the morons following him probably has a concussion, and I think I broke one of Richie's ribs. I'm fine. They underestimated me." I catch the look she's giving me. "I didn't start it okay? I never start these things."

She sighs.

"I know. Just... try and be happy for once? Please? Stop the fighting and the anger and just enjoy yourself for once. You deserve it."

"I'll try Mist. I'll try."

She looks doubtful but decides to let it go. I realize that it's getting late, and Misty tells me that she has to get back to dorms. But before she goes she decides to try one last time to get through to me. She turns and demands I look her in the eyes. They're a surprisingly vivid sea-green, and as I stand there waiting they scan my face, attempting to read me.

"There are things" she begins "worth living for, Ash Ketchum. There are things worth fighting for, and I don't mean the fists and blood type of fight. You'll have to face them one day. Please", she whispers now, "please make it soon. It hurts like hell seeing you live this way."

With me made to feel sufficiently like shit, she turns around and walks off. Gary did describe me as the catalyst behind Misty's emotions, but that cuts both ways. I seem to be at my angriest, happiest or saddest when she's around, and right now I don't think I could get much lower. I walk home quickly, barely looking where I was going. All I get for the blood on my clothes is a disapproving "hmmph" noise and an "I hope you won" from Michael. I hit up the communal bathroom to wash off, and then head to bed. It's too early for sleep, but I have a lot to think about.

"_There are things worth fighting for."_

I guess there were at that. I get by alright in life... well, I manage anyway. But I've never really been content. I guess I just sort of fell into a rut- people expected me to act like an asshole and I obliged because it was easier than trying to change. Easier than trying to be what I wanted to be. For me, sleep had always been simpler than dreams.

"_You'll have to face them one day... it hurts like hell to see you live this way."_

I pick up the phone Riley had given me. I'm not sure if this is the right choice, but right now any choice seems better than nothing. There's only one number in the thing. I hit it and the phone starts to ring. On ring four he picks up.

"Hello?"

"This is Ash. You said you could teach me how to fight?"

"That is correct."

I gather more courage than I thought I had. I'm not used to coming out of my shell, but this time I think I need to. It's either now or never.

"When do we begin?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Paths I Walk

**5-The Paths I Walk**

"_**Aura constitutes a sacred bond between the divine and the mortal; it is a bridge between destiny and reality. We must only use it to defend and protect. We must not use it out of hate. We must not use it to pick up chicks. Or to tip over cattle. Or to smash mailboxes... heh heh, this one time I- uh, never mind.**_

_**-Riley Gen**_

Training is a bitch.

Alright, I realize that that isn't a particularly insightful... you know what, never mind. As I think I've mentioned, I can be a really lazy bastard. While I'm not intrinsically opposed to the idea of work, I've never found anything that was worth it. Similarly, exercise is not my strong point. I'm lean and strong enough- a lifetime of running, fighting and starving will do that to you- but I've never really taken exercise beyond what was needed to stay healthy. As for people who genuinely enjoy sport, well... I guess the world is full of freaks.

So I was not exactly pleased with the idea of training. To me, fighting was a way to survive. It was a necessity, not a pleasure. Towards the end of my first session, I wondered if even necessity was worth it.

Riley had asked me to come to an address in north Pallet, and had told me to bring clothes that would not show blood. With that happy thought in mind, I had put on a T-shirt and shorts and headed into town.

If I had been nervous before, it was nothing compared to when I actually saw he place. I'm as big a fan of the "abandoned warehouse" look as anyone else, but it was not exactly the greatest place for me to be with the creepy man I barely knew in my clothes that would not show blood. I would tell you that I was having second thoughts, but that would imply that I had had first thoughts.

It wasn't actually as bad on the inside. A little bare, maybe, but the bits of it I could see looked well maintained enough. High windows ensured both good lighting and privacy. The floor was some kind of spongy wood that would probably be easy to clean.

"_Just like my clothes. Joy. What the hell is he planning?"_

Riley is in the middle of a large room, turned away from me. He seems to be wearing some sort of martial arts uniform. As I approach he turns to me and spreads his arms wide, drawing my attention to our surroundings.

"Welcome!" he booms stentorianly "to my Sanctum Sanctorum!"

There is a moment's pause as I try to figure out whether I should have laughed. He looks put out.

"Weren't you supposed to be a brooding figure of mystery? What's with the ridiculous intro?"

"Hey! My sanctum is cool. Besides kid, you look like you do enough brooding for both of us." He grins. "And as long as we're working together, call me Riley. Or sensei. Either works for me."

He walks over too me. I look around again.

"You actually live here?"

"Don't laugh, I saw where you live" (internal wince) "and I don't own this place, I'm just... borrowing it. I may as well live here while I'm in Pallet."

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Not for a while. I have duties here."

"So I'm a "duty" now?"

"You're a lot of things kid. And yes, one of my duties is to keep an eye out for talented individuals. I'm not usually involved in the training aspect, but I guess we can learn together."

"Wait" I say with apprehension "you mean you've never done this before?"

"Nope! People like us are very, very rare, and we sort of tend to die a lot, so vulnerable young aura guardians don't last very long. Please try not to die- I'd like my first student to be a success."

And with that he hit me. Very hard.

I tilted my back up and relaxed my muscles. I hit the wall, bounced off, and managed to roll upright into a fighting crouch. He wasn't coming after me though; he was still on the other side of the room. Still grinning too, the bastard. I guess it was for the best, because at that moment I really did not feel like fending him off- I felt dizzy and sick, and there was an unpleasant stickiness on the back of my head that I strongly suspected was blood.

"Good, you've at least learned to take a hit and roll with it. Now we'll see if we can teach you to deliver one." I backed off and circled as he got closer. He laughed. "You can relax. That was just a... greeting. An introductory concussion if you will. We're going to need to train your body a lot harder if you want to be able to take many more of those."

And train my body we did. I wasn't out of shape by any means, but by the time we were done I had pulled muscles I didn't know existed. By the end of it I was lying on the floor putting all of my energy into breathing.

"Pretty good for your first day. Of course it gets harder, but still I'm hoping to accelerate your basic training a little. It's important we get your body into top shape before puberty really gets going on you, because if we don't you'll have an even harder time of it."

"Harder time (wheeze) of what (wheeze)?"

"In aura users awakening is kind of like a puberty all on its own. Now that you've started your power is going to increase in a very short amount of time... and you're going to need strength to deal with it. You may get headaches, blurred vision, tinnitus, random aura discharges, weird dreams- hell some people even have their physical appearance changed. It's even worse in your case because you're the latest awakening I've ever heard of. That means you're going to be going through puberty and awakening simultaneously, and I don't know how those are going to interact."

"Uh" I said, lost for words. "Well, shit."

He laughed. "Yeah, that about sums it up. Don't worry about it though. Training is going to be harsh, but if we can strengthen your body and clear your mind then you'll be far better equipped to deal with the psychological stress of developing an energy that's alien to you. I have a regimen of exercise and meditation planned that will hopefully get you fit enough for basic training. We'll focus on techniques and control after we have the basics down."

I frown. "If Richie is as pissed off as I think he is, I may not make it that long."

"Don't worry about that. I know his type. Slimy, but with a knack for revenge. He'll be waiting to strike, but with every day he gives you you'll be getting stronger. And your inherent aura will reinforce your body and protect you without you even knowing it. All the mental and physical training you do will help you deal with him."

"How can you be sure I can even use aura? You say everyone affects it but almost no one can use it- what makes you think I'm special?"

He smiled. "As you progress, you'll see that there are ways of telling. But if you need proof for yourself, there's the fact that you're still here."

"What?"

"If you didn't have a considerable amount of aura, then the hit I gave you at the beginning of our little session would have killed you."

* * *

><p>A month passes. My life both stays the same and changes dramatically. On the surface, it was the same. Classes sucked, Gary was a dick, Misty was on my case and Ritchie bided his time. To an outside observer, it wouldn't seem as though a mysterious stranger with connections in the military was helping me through some sort of fucked up hyper-puberty so that I could learn to blast my enemies with long lost magic. To be honest, I didn't know why Riley was teaching me. He kept alluding to this aura guardian group, but whenever I confronted him about what it was they actually did, he'd dodge the question and tell me I'd find out one day.<p>

Anyway, things looked the same, but anyone who knew me saw that they were different. I didn't snap nearly as much, I didn't glare at everyone who dared to make eye contact with me. I still stayed quiet in class, but my grades went steadily up. Tokiwa was now actively afraid of me- he'd made the mistake of ensuring we were alone before bitching me out about something, and we'd had a long talk. I realized now that he was just a coward, and I think I managed to show him that I wasn't putting up with his shit any longer.

Misty was, of course, suspicious.

"Ash, are you on drugs?"

"What?"

"If you are I can get you help. All you need to do is admit you have a problem and then I'll-"

"No Misty, I am not on drugs. I thought you told me that a change of pace would be good?"

"Yes, but I never expected that you'd listen. Seriously, what's up?"

At that point Gary joined in. "I know! You're finally getting some, right? Who is she?"

When Misty gets really angry her face sort of gets still- like the wind before a hurricane. I decided I had to shut this down now before she turned me and Gary into a fine red paste.

"It isn't a girl Gary. I'm just training with a guy who thinks he can fix the whole 'no Ki' thing. Even if he can't, it keeps me busy and the exercise is good for me."

It would be hard to say who was more shocked. I usually manage to surprise Misty- even after five years of knowing her, she still really doesn't get me- but Gary looks like somebody belted him between the eyes. Gary usually takes what I do in stride, but I think this time I really managed to stun him.

"Holy... you mean you're actually going to be able to use Ki?"

"Whoa, no one said this was definite. My trainer is just putting me through some exercises that are supposed to relax energy flow. Apparently mine is snarled up, which is why I can't use it."

It's a fairly decent lie, but I hope it's one I'll never have to use in front of someone who knows more about medicine than Misty and Gary. I have no idea if the energy lines in the human body can get fouled up, or what kind of exercises would help them if they did. However, I'm not about to try to explain to Misty and Gary that I've joined a mystical cult-thing for "special" people. Being special attracts attention, and drawing attention can be fatal. People are going to need some kind of explanation for the powers that Riley keeps telling me I'll develop, and apparently I can pass aura off as Ki to anyone who doesn't know better. Other aura users will probably be able to tell, but I'm not sure if that matters... Riley still won't tell me what the others are like. Even if Riley is just a convincing nut and I don't have secret powers, I can just tell everyone that the exercises failed.

Although, to be fair, at this point I'm almost sure Riley wasn't kidding. Our sessions thus far have only focused on physical and mental development, not aura use, but I've been getting symptoms that are hard to ignore. The blurriness in vision has come and gone, as well as a massive increase in the volume and vividness of my dreams. There's no change in appearance that I can't hide, thank Mew, but I swear that I'm hungry all the time now, and Gary says I've been looking a little broader. Riley says that my symptoms are going to get worse before they get better, but I hope he was joking. While it's true that my ability to concentrate has increased, that just makes it worse when thoughts and dreams that aren't mine come rushing into my head from nowhere. Not to mention that Kaelus has been more vocal lately, and much more pushy about his desires, which mainly revolve around sex and violence.

_You are aware that those aren't necessarily separate concepts correct? Come on- slap the red-head, push her down and take her. I bet you anything she'd enjoy it._

Yeah, that's about the level of conversation we have these days. I'm pretty much having to suppress him twenty-four seven now, and listening to some voice tell me to hurt my friends is getting very annoying. I still haven't told Riley about Kaelus yet, and I'm not sure why. I guess I just want to think a little more about what he is.

I turn my attention back to the conversation as Misty says something.

"...would be great, if you think you can control it." She waves her finger at me and glares. "I don't want to have to pick up the charred remains of all the people you hate, Ash. There'd be no end of them."

"What, me? Hate? Never. I'm chock full 'o love and forgiveness."

I give Mist my best puppy dog eyes, and it isn't long before the three of us are laughing. It feels good to laugh with them again. Misty's a prep, Gary's a player and I'm just a general shithead, so we've kind of been diverging lately, but for the last month we've been acting like we did in the good days- the days after I got sane enough to trust them but before the prejudice at school really got going.

School goes about the same as always. Blaine and the Lt. were fighting as usual, and had just gotten to the personal insults (my favourite part) when some aide wandered in from the main office and tried to attract their attention.

"Well at least I have hair!" Screamed the Lt.

"Um, gentlemen?" The aide murmers

"That spikey blonde stuff?" retorts Blaine. "You look like someone tried to perm you with a pissed of Jolteon."

"Gentlemen! Please!" The aide finally manages to make himself heard. "I was told to bring this note to the teacher of this class?"

Of course, that just sets them off again, arguing over who should take the note. The aide sighs, reads the note and then turns to face the class.

"Could Ash Ketchum please follow me? The principle wishes to see you."

Okay, this is a new one on me. Samuel Oak is both Gary's grandfather and the head of the academy, but for all that I've almost never had anything to do with him. He was kind to me when I was a kid, but I haven't been over to Gary's house in three years. Also whenever I get into trouble (which happens with depressing regularity) it's usually dealt with at the teacher level. I've never been called to the principal's office before, and I've never heard of anyone who had, either. Most of the kid's in class give me some curious stares. Most just roll their eyes. Misty is giving me a dangerous glare, and all I can do is shrug at her. I'm just as confused as she is about this.

I follow the aide to the main building. It's a nice structure- one of the few pre-war buildings left standing in Pallet. It isn't quite as "functional" as the school itself, which isn't an insult- I swear they built that damn place out of the greyest concrete they could find.

We take the elevator up to the top level. I head to the antechamber and am asked to wait. At least I know enough not to make a pass at the secretary- Gary tells me that more than one high-ranking official has made that mistake without realizing that she was old man Oak's granddaughter. Daisy smiles at me, but she's a little surprised to see me here. I know her through Gary, although we've never been particularly close.

She tells the intercom in front of her that I'm here, and then offers me a drink. I decline, and then sit in what is probably the comfiest chair my ass has ever graced- I will say this for the professor, he knows how to live.

It isn't long before I'm called in. The office itself is... wow. It has enormous windows that give an unparalleled view of Pallet, if that's your idea of a good time. On the walls are paintings of some of the old legends the Professor is so fond of. The room itself has a very high ceiling, with inset arches in the walls giving the impression of a miniature cathedral. And sitting behind the massive desk in front of the windows (unfortunately, I think the desk is made of Teak- what a waste of a good pun) is Samuel Oak himself. He was a big man in his prime, and he's still at least a good 180 centimeters tall. He seems to have forgone a suit, opting instead for a labcoat. The man, the desk and the room have all been carefully designed to impress, and it's too bad that it's all slightly ruined by the fact that Riley is sitting in one of the chairs in the room, grinning his ass off.

"Surprised?" He asks me.

"More than I should be I guess" I say. "It makes sense that you knew somebody here anyway, and the Professor does seem to know everyone important in the military."

"I've told you before that I'm not in the military...exactly. But hey, did you see that hot piece of ass in the waiting room?"

The Professor's eyes narrow and I grin evilly.

"You mean the Professor's granddaughter? I wouldn't know Riley sensei- I had my eyes on her face."

Riley seems shocked. "That was Daisy? Last time I came through here she was just a kid." He smiles and turns to Oak. "So Samuel if you could introduce-"

"Touch her and die, Riley." The Professor says evenly. I always did like him.

He turns to me. "Sit down Ash. This isn't an interrogation, although officially you're here so I can yell at you for misbehaving."

I sit. "And unofficially?"

He tents his fingers. "Riley has informed me of your... situation. To be honest, I had always wondered myself, but I was still shocked to find out you could use aura." My eyebrows arch in surprise. He chuckles. "Are you surprised? Yes, I know about aura. In fact, it was one of the reasons I founded this school- I wanted to study Ki more thoroughly, if I ever wanted to understand the force it had descended from. But this is neither here nor there." He leans in closer. "Riley has asked me for advice regarding your pokemon situation."

"Situation?"

"Yes. I've decided to reinstate your battling license."

My ban from matches had never really been official. There had been a few nasty incidents with the other students, and after it was realized that I wasn't going to live long in an official match without Ki, I had pretty much just sat them out. I had actually been damn good at pokemon battles, but I had to give those up too after a while- the instructors had refused to teach a Ki-less trainer and they'd taken my license away "for my own safety".

"Are you serious? Why?"

"Because you're going to need it. Aura guardians must have a team that can keep up with them, which most ordinary pokemon can't hope to do. Riley is going to have to put you and your team through rigorous battle training if you want to have a hope of surviving."

I ignore the last comment, and hope it was only made to make me take things seriously. "My pokemon will keep up. Pikachu and Eevee are the best."

"It's good you have faith in them." He sighs. "Ash, there's another reason why I'm doing this. Can you keep a secret?"

I just nod.

"Inter-regional tension has been high of late, as I'm sure you've noticed. Occasionally the regions like to host competitions of sorts. Tournaments where our rookie trainers fight one another. There are prizes and suchlike, but the main purpose of these is to have our upcoming trainers meet each other and get acquainted. It's a way for them to make friends in other regions."

I nod. "Of course it is Professor. And I'm sure that they have a very friendly death rate."

He winces.

"If it were up to me, killing wouldn't be allowed. And yes, as you've pointed out, these tournaments are not as friendly as I like to think they are. This year, the tournament is slightly bigger than usual. It's going to be hosted in the orange islands."

That much made sense at least. The orange islands had long held a policy of staying neutral. Any one region could have wiped them out easily, but not without incurring the retribution of the other three.

"Yes, it will be held in the Kindara archipelago."

"The Kindara- isn't that the one with the wild-"

He sighed. "Yes."

"And those jagged-"

"Yes."

"And all those-"

"Yes! It's a very dangerous set of islands, and I have no idea why we agreed to this. But the fact remains that we have, and now I must hold preliminary examinations to decide which of the children that have been placed under my care will go to face death."

This is bad. Gary and Misty are two of the best students in the school and there's no way they won't get selected. I'm going to be alone again while my friends face gods know what.

Unless...

"Professor, why are you telling me this?"

"Because Riley informs me he thinks you should be allowed to go."

Well, hot damn. I knew I shouldn't have let myself get comfortable with life.

"The only problem is that there will be pokemon battles as well, some of which are three-on-threes. You only have two pokemon. I suggest you catch at least two more to keep them from getting exhausted."

"Hey, Pikachu and Eevee can handle themselves out there. Don't assume that they're weak just because they're small."

He smiles. "I'm not. But you still have to catch at least one more pokemon, and preferably three."

That isn't as easy as it sounds. Pallet is a great place for catching young, trainable pokemon, which is one of the reasons the academy was put here in the first place. So catching three pokemon wouldn't be hard, it's just that I'm not really sure that tossing a newly caught Caterpie or Pidgey into the meat grinder is going to help any. It's not that I only think strong pokemon are worth anything, it's just that this thing sounds like it's going to be held soon, and I don't have the time it would take to train a new pokemon into tournament condition.

"I think I can help there, actually" Says Riley. I'm a little startled- I had almost forgotten he was there. "I know a newbie pokemon that needs a trainer. He's strong, and you may be able to surprise people with him- his type is rare."

I want to ask what this thing is, but Oak nods and continues. "Good. That's settled then." He turns to me. "Now Ash, you only have a month before you leave. I'm making a list of who is going to go- my grandson and that Misty girl you're so fond of are on it as well- and you'll be bussed to Saffron where you'll meet up with students from the ASS (snicker). There's a preliminary test in Saffron to decide who is best fit to go. From there there's a boat to take you down to the Kindara archipelago."

He leans back in his chair and sighs.

"Ash, spots in this tournament are coveted and I expect to take a lot of flak from the board for giving you one. As the director of this academy I should be hoping that you all make it to the finals but... well, honestly I hope you all lose at Saffron. This tournament is dangerous, Ash. Do what you must to come home alive."

I nod and, seeing that the Professor is done with me, get up to leave. Just before I get to the door he clears his throat and speaks again.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on Gary, would you?"

For a second, the image of the imposing researcher dissolves, and the Professor appears as no more than he is at heart- a man worried for his grandchild. I smile.

"Always."

* * *

><p>It was much later. I'd only gone back to class briefly to tell the teachers that I wouldn't be back that day, as the head of the school had a job for me. I'm not sure they even heard me, but the class seemed curious .Misty had managed to refrain from picking me up and shaking me to demand what this was about, but looked as if she was about to pop. After that, Riley had told me to pick up my pokemon from the compound and meet him near the woods. I'd told Pikachu and Eevee about Riley, of course, but this was the first time they'd met him. As he led us deeper and deeper into the woods, they seemed a little suspicious.<p>

"Pika?"

"Fucked if I know. I guess he'll tell us when we get there."

"Vee!"

"No, I think if he were, he would already have tried. With some of the things I've seen him do, I don't think he'd be worried about witnesses. Let's just wait and see okay guys?"

"Pikaaaa, chu ka pika."

"Vee..." said Eevee sullenly.

Gary and Misty had always been astounded by how well I could understand my pokemon. It wasn't true speech- Pikachu and Eevee couldn't describe something to me if I'd never seen it before- but most times I could tell what they meant. I'd also learned to recognize tone. You'd be amazed how many so called trainers can't tell when their pokemon are tired, angry or scared. To be honest, I was a little relieved that Pikachu seemed to be calming down around Riley. He always had been the best at sensing danger, and I trusted his judgement. I didn't have his skill at reading people, and Eevee was too paranoid around everyone and everything to give me an unbiased viewpoint.

Finally we reached a clearing, and in the center stood... something. It was a tall creature, blue and black with a sort of creamy colour on its belly. It had a spike on its chest, and it gazed at me with calm, red eyes. The trivial part of my brain kept thinking _"Dog, friendly."_ The much older, nastier part of brain, the part that had kept me alive was thinking _"Anubis, beware."_

"Ash, this is my pokemon."

I was about to reply when something hard hit me in the back and knocked me over. It then skittered around to my front and started jumping up and down on its hind legs. It was also blue and black, but both parts of my brain had no trouble classifying this thing as a dog. It lacked the serene deadliness of its older counterpart.

"And this is your pokemon!" Riley said beaming.

"Riiiiiiiiiiioluuuuuuu!" the thing yelled at me.

I looked at Pikachu. Pikachu looked at me.

"Chaaaaa..." It sighed.

Yeah buddy, that about sums it up.


	6. Chapter 6: Regrets of the Forgotten

**6-Regrets of the Forgotten**

"_**Winning isn't our goal and never has been. We aren't crusaders; we aren't the knight on the white Rapidash. We're just men, and this isn't something we can win. Our goal is and always has been to see to it that the game can still be played. We can't stop the darkness, we can only see to it that it doesn't tear apart the world."**_

_**-Riley Gen**_

After picking myself up and dusting myself off, Riley decided that I should receive an introduction that didn't involve a sacral fracture. It turns out that the bouncing baby bastard was a Riolu, a fighting pokemon native to the Sinnoh region, but incredibly rare even there. The older pokemon was a Lucario, Riolu's evolved stage and, in this case, its mother.

Riolu was a juvenile male, and it was apparently quite common for them to be this energetic. Riley informed me that it would get better as we gained discipline and teamwork, but he was basically just saying that the thing was my problem now.

"Now Ash, Riolus and Lucarios are some of the rarest, strongest, and hardest to train pokemon in the Sinnoh region. If you do it right, however, the benefits are enormous. While all pokemon rely on aura as a source of power, the Lucario line has such a strong connection with it they can manipulate it at will."

"Can Riolu do that?"

"Not yet. It requires a vast amount of strength and mental discipline. In fact learning to master the use of aura is considered something of a rite of passage among Lucarios. Only the strongest and best trained among them will ever aspire to achieve an in-depth control of aura, and for that they need a powerful and wise trainer to guide them."

"And you're giving it to _me_?"

He laughs. "Power and wisdom will come, kid. For now Riolu needs someone who will care for him, someone he can learn with. And I think you'll fit the bill nicely, which is why Zydanya and I are willing to trust you with him, okay?"

Odd name for a pokemon. But I guess you'd have to be an odd pokemon to trust your rare, much sought after offspring to someone you barely knew.

(_Granted, but Riley thinks highly of you.)_

Okay, having voices in my head was getting a little old at this point. _"Are you-"_

(_I am Zydanya. As you progress down the paths of aura, you will find it facilitates communication between species, although I must admit your innate understanding of pokemon is already phenomenal. I wouldn't be surprised if you begin to understand those less initiated in aura than I shortly.)_

"She talks." I say, a little stunned.

Riley laughs. "Of course she does, although I'm a little surprised you can hear her. All pokemon speak. Didn't you tell me that you swear Pikachu can almost read your mind?"

"Yeah, but when we talk it's just simple concepts like "Danger" and "Hungry". I knew pokemon were a lot smarter than they let on, but I thought their speech was, like, more through scent, tone and body position. Isn't that why they only say their names? I didn't think they were capable of complex verbal speech."

"They aren't. But they are sentient, and therefore their... intentions, let's say, change the flow of aura through and around them. They aren't actually talking so much as you are interpreting the way the essence of all things interacts with them. It's a vice versa type of thing too- as you progress in your training and as you develop deeper connections with them, they'll be able to understand you as well."

"Can they actually read my thoughts?"

"No. Zydanya is better than most, and she was more likely interpreting the shape of your emotions. Some pokemon can do that, but if you want most of them to hear you you're going to have to actually talk. Of course, if a pokemon is strongly connected to you, you can probably communicate just by focusing on it and making a little effort.

I turn to Pikachu slowly. He stares at me confused. I focus on him, and try to shout the words in my mind.

"_Like this?"_

_(Like what?)_ says a new voice. The voice sounds very human, and it isn't one I know, but I can't help feel as if-

_(Yes, Pikachu is speaking. So will Eevee, eventually. Get used to it, trainer to my kin. You have inspired in this mouse and fox a kind of loyalty very rarely seen, and it is to be hoped that you can bring out the best in my son as well.)_

_(That's me!)_

"He talks too?"

"You can understand Riolu? An excellent sign! Maybe you won't die as fast as I'd feared!"

"Wait, die? What do you-"

"No complaining! It's training time!"

Now, I had previously indicated that training sucks, and this is true. However training with beings that hurl lightning or can punch through solid steel is infinitely worse. It turns out that Riley's method of promoting team spirit was to yell "Everyone gang up on Ash!" and then sit back and laugh while I got my ass thunder bolted to seizureland. Pikachu, Eevee and I are pretty tight, but the two of them have a mischievous side. I don't think they'd ever actually hurt me but... well, at this point I'd been thundershocked and bitten so often I'd basically stopped feeling it. They don't mean to hurt me, they're just young and that's how their species do things. We were practically family, and I guess love hurts sometimes.

As for Riolu, he thought it was all great fun. He'd attack me, Pikachu, Eevee... hell, one time he got so excited he tried to attack Riley's leg and was casually booted back into our scrum. Eventually Riley must have decided that we'd had enough time to get to know each other, because he and Zydanya attacked the four of us. Pikachu, Riolu and Eevee fighting together were barely enough to hold back the Lucario, and it didn't even look like she was trying. As for Riley, he was no slouch. He fought with some kind of weird, sloping style- Chinese Kenpo or something like it. As for me, I stuck with street. He would try to attack me with the strike of a million bears or some shit, and I'd attempt to kick him in the kneecap. We had a real student-teacher dynamic.

This goes on until dark. My pokemon and I are exhausted, but Riley and Zydanya look as though they've barely broke a sweat. We finally stop, and I crash to the ground. Riolu runs over to me (he's slowed down but he hasn't stopped- what the hell is his species made of?) and starts jumping up and down on my chest yammering at me. I reach up and manage to grab him.

"Wanna play huh? Take this!"

I start to tickle him. He freaks out, laughing and trying to escape. Pikachu and Eevee get in on the act, and decide to dogpile me. The four of us roll around on the ground, laughing, fighting and playing.

"This may work out better than I had hoped." I can hear Riley say.

(_Yes master. Yes it may.)_

* * *

><p>"And then she bent over and licked up all my-"<p>

"GARY, SHUT UP!" Misty and I roar simultaneously.

It's about a week after the initial training session. This is the first time off I've had in a while and I'd decided to spend it with Misty and Gary. Misty is bursting with curiosity about my training, my trainer, and how my pokemon have been coming along. Gary is bursting with... well never mind. His stories get more grotesque with every retelling.

The three of us are in one of the fields on the west side of town, lying under an old tree. We were bored enough to play the cloud game, until we realized that we would either have to start skipping Gary's turn or else become a lot more open with each other about sex.

The tournament had been announced in class yesterday, and both Gary and Misty were confident that they would be selected. It wasn't even ego; they really were two of the best in the school. Apparently five of us were allowed to go, with the names to be announced next week. That meant Misty, me , Gary, and two others. Giselle would almost certainly be one of them, and as for the other... well in terms of who deserved to go it was probably that upperclassman guy, Brock something. I hoped like hell that it was him and that Ritchie didn't manage to somehow buy his way onto the team.

Gary leans back against the tree.

"Of course, this means I won't be around to guide and delight you Ketchum. Then again, your ball and chain" he nods towards Misty, who glares "will also be gone. Do try not to kill anything while we're away?"

I grunt, noncommittally. If only you knew, Gare-bear.

"Hey!" shouts Misty "I am not a ball and chain! I let Ash make his own choices!"

Which is why you're always yelling at me, giving me the mallet, telling me off... I just roll my eyes.

"No," says Gary smirking, "but I bet you'd like to-"

"Gary" I interrupt, ready to have some fun "what was that you said to me that day I got out of the hospital? Something about suckling-"

"Uh, gotta go!" Gary says, and runs away. Misty narrows her eyes.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing. How's the family?"

"Ugh, don't ask. My sisters have been pressuring me to come back to Cerulean again. They say that I'm" at this point Misty raises her voice several notes and starts making exaggerated hand motions "like, so totally wasting my life you know? Why can't I just, like, find a boyfriend and go to like, regular school?"

I laugh.

"Yup. Find some jock to stare at your tits and grunt that you're pretty. That's the answer to your problems Mist."

She goes red. "Ash!"

"Sorry. Gary must be rubbing off on me more than I thought. I just meant if you want to stay single and be a trainer, then it's your own damn hook. Me and Gary will still stand by you."

The blush hasn't quite faded yet, but she smiles nonetheless. "Thanks. My sisters mean well, but they try to solve my problems on their terms. They can't see why I want to be a little independent- they just see it as some stupid childish rebellion. I still love my family, but I'm glad that I don't have to live with them for the whole year."

"Yeah... why Pallet though? Saffron's a lot more prestigious and it isn't that much further away. Hell, I would've thought your family could afford one of the smaller private trainer schools."

Misty looks away. Maybe I shouldn't have asked? I didn't think it was a painful question, but maybe I should have shut up.

"Oh, I, uh, I came here as a kid and fell in love... with the place."

I can remember that. Misty had actually been in one of the smaller schools in Cerulean, but had come here one summer for, I dunno, a trip or something. I think she'd been sent on a visit to a relative because I know her parents and sisters weren't there. I can still remember the first time we met, actually.

I'd been sitting near the edge of one of the parks, watching the other kids play. I never joined them, but I liked to watch- hey, even I got lonely sometimes. Suddenly there had been a shout from behind me.

"Hey you!"

I whipped around (I'd been on edge in those days- not the paragon of calm that I am now) and came face to face with a girl. She was big for her age (eleven, I found out later) and her bright orange hair blazed in the sun, stuck up to the side in a crazy imitation of a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of denim overalls and a bright yellow shirt. She also sported a face full of freckles, but it was her angry green eyes that commanded most of my attention. Young as I was, I knew to watch the eyes. People lied with their eyes.

"Why are you alone!" She yells at me. I just shrug.

"Well? Say something!"

"Something." I growl.

"Oh, real smart pinhead. What's your name?"

Normally I would just have walked away. I didn't like people much (I knew Gary at this point, but our friendship was still rocky at best). But I sort of felt connected with this girl. She looked pissed, yeah, but she seemed alone too... like she was looking for someone to connect with. I took a risk.

"Ash."

She calms down a little.

"Ash? I don't think I've ever heard that name before. Well Ash, my name is Mysteara Waterflower and I'm-"

She got no further, because I was on the ground laughing like I had never laughed before. 'Mysteara Waterflower'? Seriously, who names a kid that?

Well, ten seconds after I started laughing, she started punching. To make a long story short, by the end of the day we were both covered in bruises (the fight was pretty much a tie, but each of us maintain to this day that we had beaten the other) and we were inseparable friends. I'd spent every day of the following two months with her, playing, exploring, and just generally messing around. The day she'd had to go back to Cerulean had been... hard. For both of us. I was shocked when she showed up at the academy in September. I don't know how she pulled that one off with her parents, and to be honest I didn't really care. For the first time I had friends- two of them!

I snap back to the present.

"Cool." I say, and close my eyes. She sighs, sounding almost disappointed. I open one eye and glance at her.

"Something wrong?"

"Nope." She says, also laying down and closing her eyes.

It's a nice day today, if a little bright. Laying here with my eyes closed feels extremely restful. With all the training I've been doing, I'm getting behind on sleep, and what sleep I do get is being interrupted by these awful, vivid dreams that I can barely remember on waking.

With the sun overhead, the wind gently drifting through the grass, and Misty snoring slightly to my left, I slowly drift off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>The girl above me was sweating and panting, but I knew it wasn't from pain. Every so often she would let out a startled gasp, as if she were discovering the pleasure we were causing each other for the first time. For my part, I merely assisted. I held her hips and guided her, offered words of comfort softer than I thought I could produce. Eventually it became too much for her. She arched backwards, her mouth open yet silent, words failing her. I felt her clench up on me, and she shrieked out her feelings. She then collapsed on my chest, panting heavily. I stroke her beautiful, fiery red hair, and take a strange comfort in the way her pale, sweat covered back shines in the moonlight streaming through the window.<em>

_She eventually regains enough of her breath to tilt her head upwards and kiss me. The contact is soft, but powerful. Lust and love are intermingled so heavily as to be one erotic force, driving me towards this woman. She traces lines across my chest with her fingertip and begins to speak._

"_When are you leaving?"_

"_Tomorrow." I reply sadly._

"_You could stay. Should stay. With us."_

"_Kasumi..."_

_She begins to talk more quickly now, as if trying to get it all out in one go. "We'd take care of you. Good care. We could go far away, the dark won't find us, we-"_

"_Kasumi." I say, and lift her head so that she's looking into my eyes. "I can't. You know that."_

_She slumps._

"_I... I know... I just wish that..."_

"_Me too, Kas. I wish the four of us could just run too... but I can't. These people, this world, it all comes down to this battle. My battle. I have to fight for more than the four of us."_

_She turns away from me. I lean over, kiss her on the cheek and whisper to her._

"_I can't run Kas, but here and now know that I love you. And I always will, even into death. Whatever awaits me, it can't change that."_

_She turns back to face me, smiling. It's a sad, heartbreaking smile, but it's a smile nonetheless._

"_Yeah. Yeah, I love you too, stupid."_

_I roll so that I'm on top of her, and take the lead. As my hands play upon her flesh, I reflect that this may be the last night we have together. Every night feels like the last. But as her body responds, and her moans reach my ears, I forget these dark thoughts and lose myself in..._

_In..._

_Black. The world is back and it isn't stopping. Fires lance through the darkness, and the world burns. People are screaming, but it isn't people, its one woman. The woman, the world is weeping. She turns to me, tries to hug me and fails._

"_Oh Ash, I never wanted this for you. My poor son. Trust in Kasumi- she's a good girl."_

_And then she screams. And the words in my head are shattered like so much glass._

* * *

><p>The taste of blood is not a particularly pleasant thing to wake up to. I must have bitten my tongue in my sleep to keep from screaming. The dream is... jumbled. There was Misty and some older woman and... what? Fire? What had scared me so badly?<p>

I try to remember the dream, but fail- I can feel it begin to slip away. I think I was playing with Misty or something. The dream was scary, but also weirdly fun.

I sigh and close my eyes. There's no point to this. I should just lay back and enjoy the evening. The day is cooler now, but a warm breeze is still blowing. I inhale deeply, and take in a fresh, sweet scent. How is it that girls manage to smell so good anyway? No human being should-

Wait. Girls?

My eyes open slowly, as if stilled by dread. I cautiously glance to my left, and my breath catches in my throat. There, barely two inches from me, is the sleeping face of Misty. She's curled into me with her hands clenched on my shirt near my chest. She's lying on top of my left arm which is... Oh God... curled protectively around her slender waist.

I am lying under a summer's sky. Cuddling. With Misty. Freaking. Waterflower.

If I hadn't been training so much with Riley I would have screamed and then I would have died. As it was, I felt my mind subdue the fear and turn it into a reflex enhancer rather than a handicap. I slowly started to pull my arm out from under her. She snorted, mumbled something, and held on tighter to my chest. Taking a risk, I reached over and gently tickled her stomach. She giggled, and then rolled away from me, still asleep. I sighed, relieved, and sat up. The sun was still in the sky, but the day had definitely been drained of its previous light. We must have been here for at least three hours. Dangerous. I shouldn't have let myself get that comfortable.

I give Misty a prod with my foot. As awkward as talking to her right now is going to be, it isn't like I can just leave her here. She yawns, looks at me blearily, and suddenly sits up straight.

"What time-?"

"Don't know Mist. Probably about six."

She stands.

"I have to get back. My roommates will be worried- I said I was only going out for a bit. See you in school tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. Later Mist."

She walks away, and I watch her go. Mist has changed a lot over the years. Gone is the blatant, in-your-face attitude and the anger directed at everyone and everything. Don't get me wrong, she'll still kick ass when she has to, but she's a lot better at determining when it's needed now. A lot of the students at school look up to her- she's hard working and she always has time to help those in need. She's also done a lot of maturing when it comes to her sisters. When I knew Misty first, she practically had "I'll never be as pretty so why bother" written on her forehead and she made up for it by being overly aggressive. In the last year or two, though, she's realized that she can be every bit as good as them and that anyone who wants to judge her on looks alone can go to hell.

_Of course, she's also matured physically..._ I muse, before pushing that thought away hard. Misty has made it clear that she's not interested in boys, and the last thing she needs is me getting more heavily involved in her life. It's bad enough that she's got the stigma of being my friend, but to have everyone think that something like me was after her romantically... no. I wouldn't do that to her. Besides, both of us were content with our friendship, and neither one of us wanted anything more out of the other.

Yeah.

Sure.

So why did watching her walk away hurt so badly?

* * *

><p>I stifle a yawn. It's the morning after the incident with Misty, and while I find it to be about four hours too early for thinking, apparently the school system disagrees. Most of the school is gathered into the large auditorium that serves for special announcements. Around me is the usual cast of players in any school- the gigglers, the whisperers, the gossipers, the white idiots who try to act like black idiots. Morons, one and all.<p>

Gary is sitting near the front, trying not to look smug. Misty is sitting next to him, trying not to look fed up with Gary. As close as we are, they've never managed to convince me to sit with them at assemblies. I don't like crowds, and tend to sit at the back, whereas the honours student and the grandson of the principal tend to sit front and center. Neither one of them has ever blamed me for some of the shit they take for talking to me, but I prefer not to rub our friendship in the face of the entire school.

Professor Oak is up on stage, finishing the last of the usual announcements.

"-am glad to assure you that the Cafeteria has discovered the main nest and exterminated most of the survivors. And now, for the selection of the tournament contenders."

Everyone perks up. Most of us have figured out that Misty and Gary will go, but with three slots still open there's a lot of curiosity among the student body. I know that Gary has been running bets.

"Now as you all know, five will be selected to attend the tournament in the Kindara archipelago. Any teacher or member of staff may make a nomination and the board then votes after careful consideration of each candidate. The characteristics selected for encompass much more than mere strength. Mental disposition, interactions with pokemon, personality and drive are all also considered, as well as many other facets. We have also tried to select to give a balanced team, in the hope that they will inspire one another to improve upon weaknesses."

So Oak himself only got one vote? I wonder how he snuck me in. The board respect him greatly, but none of them even know me and saying that my record is "mixed" is an understatement at best.

"To the candidates then. Our selections for first and second seed were as unanimous as they were unsurprising. Gary Oak, would you please stand?"

Gary gets up, no longer even trying to hide the smugness. There's a lot of cheering, especially cheering of the feminine variety. He always was popular.

"Mr. Oak has displayed skills unusual for one so young, and has proven countless times that he is an expert manipulator of Ki. Despite his... rash mentality (there's some muted laughter) we have found him worthy of representing Kanto in this tournament. We entertain no doubts about his ability to defend the reputation of this school. As long as there are no attractive girls around."

More laughter this time. Gary just soaks it up on stage, grinning.

"As I mentioned, our second seed was an equally easy choice. Misty Waterflower, would you please stand?"

The applause for Misty is less raucous than Gary's, but no less voluble for that. Misty walks up to the stage, beaming, happy to have been selected.

"Ms. Waterflower has shown excellent tactical skill, as well as a sense of responsibility for her fellow students. We are confident that her dedication and work ethic have earned her a place in this tournament, and hope that her occasional... outbursts of temper will not prohibit her from showing the world what a hard-working young woman she is."

Misty frowns a little at the word temper, but Oak looks like he's joking. He begins to speak again.

"On to the third seed. Giselle Versace, please stand."

Giselle is a girl in our class, considered by many to be beautiful. I've always thought that the effect was a little ruined by the condescending sneer she usually has on. Misty and she do not get on well, and I didn't miss the glare that passes between them as Giselle makes her way onto the stage.

"Ms. Versace brings an unparalleled...style to her battling, and has always focused on perfection. We hope to see her bring her talents to bear in the trials to come."

Was that Oak's way of saying she was a stuck up little priss? I wondered.

"I am personally very pleased to see that the talents of the fourth seed have been recognized. Brock Slate, would you please stand?"

There's a lot of cheering from the audience. I've heard that Brock's a good guy, but he's in the year ahead of us and I don't think I've ever met him.

"Mr. Slate has shown significant improvement in this last year, and has proven to us all that hard work is the most important factor in success. Congratulations Mr. Slate!"

More cheering. And now it's my turn... unless something is wrong. What if Oak hadn't managed to get me in after all? He said that the board had considered carefully, but most people tend to dismiss me after they find out about my Ki. Riley had assured Oak that I'd be able to match Ki soon... but how much sway would Riley's words hold with the board? Had anyone looked past my Ki to see if I were worthy? If so had they found me wanting?

"Our choice of fifth seed, the final seed, is a little...odd. In fact, many would criticise us for making such a choice. Choosing the final seed is always hard- there are many deserving candidates, and often the last member of a team can have the greatest impact on the team dynamic. While our choice of fifth seed is a little strange, he has shown many times in the past that he is a worthy choice. His devotion to his pokemon and his friends is incredible, and often goes unnoticed. He has also shown a resilience in the face of adversity, torment and ignorance that I have a hard time believing, much less understanding. Although he cloaks himself in sarcasm and cynicism as though it were armour, I have the utmost faith that he will fight with honour and with faith, as he has always done."

The room is silent, with all students wondering who the hell Oak is going on about.

"Ash Ketchum, would you please stand?"

The room is absolutely silent as I stand up and begin to walk. I hear somebody start to laugh, but it's choked off pretty quickly. Everyone is staring at me. It would be hard to say who looked the most surprised, but if I were giving out prizes Misty would probably get first. Her mouth is hanging open, and she looks as if something awful just happened.

_You're really helping my confidence here, Mist._

Gary is still grinning, but seems to have frozen up. He's looking at his grandfather as if he's waiting for the punch line. Giselle's perma-sneer seems to have deepened, but shock is evident on her face as well. Brock looks to his right and left, as if wondering what all the fuss is about. I'm sure he's heard the rumours about me, but he probably didn't believe them. He gives me an awkward smile as I walk up onstage. Well, at least someone in the room isn't horrified.

The teachers' reactions are more mixed. Ms. Tamamushi smiles at me and nods. Blaine and the Lt. Look almost... satisfied. They give me identical grins. Tokiwa looks pleased as well, but in his case it's probably because he's hoping I'll get myself killed. Bastard.

First the whispering starts. Then the murmurs. And then the uproar. Through it all, I just stand there with a grimace. It should be hilarious- the people who have kept me down for years are finding out that I've been selected above them. But I can't really bring myself to laugh at the fact that I've succeeded in convincing the board that I'm an excellent person to be sent to die.

* * *

><p>"But Professor, you can't <em>do<em> this! He'll die!"

Misty and Gary were not pleased, to say the least. I should have expected it, but I was a little hurt. It was fairly evident from the comments that neither one of them had any faith in my ability to survive, much less win. Their objections were born out of concern for me, and while it was touching to know that they cared, I was a bit offended to find out how weak they thought I was.

"I've survived for fifteen years Misty, and eleven of them were before I met you."

"Shut it Ash! I can't believe you'd let them do this to you!" She turns back to Oak. "Professor, please don't do this! The people in the qualifiers will be some of the best in Kanto, and they won't hesitate to kill an opponent who can't fight back!"

Gary joins her. "She's right, grandpa. Saffron is going to want as many of their students going as possible, and they'll kill him just to prove that they're a better school. Pick somebody else."

Okay, now I was pissed off. According to them I wasn't even going to make it past the qualifying rounds.

"How could you even think of sending this... thing to represent our school?"

Ah, yes, Ritchie was angry too. No doubt he still wanted revenge for the earlier incident. As the most vocal of the student opponents to my appointment, he was allowed to debate it with the Professor. It was fairly clear that Oak was getting fed up with him.

"I would prefer that you not refer to Mr. Ketchum as a thing. As for his ability to represent us... Mr. Oak, Ms. Waterflower, I believe you are Ash's friends, yes? Haven't I often heard you defending his abilities to his detractors?"

"Well... yes but-" Misty sputters.

"Professor?" I speak up.

"Yes Mr. Ketchum?"

"Given my reputation, it isn't surprising that there are doubts. Even among my friends." I add, a little coldly. Gary looks abashed, but Misty just glares at me harder. She really isn't going to let this one go. "But I have recently been undergoing private training with the aims of improving my strength and eventually being able to use Ki."

"We know." He nodded "It was a big factor in our decision to send you."

"Then may I suggest a one on one battle between another student and myself? Just to put any doubts to rest."

"I volunteer, Professor!" Ritchie practically shouts. Oh, I bet he does. In fact, I was counting on it.

The Professor stares at us for a few seconds, before nodding his ascent. "Very well. Rules?"

"Me and Ritchie, one on one. No pokemon, no weapons, Ki allowed." I say. Misty and Gary look at me as if I'm an idiot. Ok, let's be fair- I am. But this time I know what I'm doing. I think.

I hope...


	7. Chapter 7: Bitter Ends

**7-Bitter Ends; A Feared Beginning**

"_**I was asked once what a hero was and I couldn't give an answer. I know it doesn't have to do with strength or bravery, but something deeper... something about who we are. I think that when a man watches a loved one die, when he sees cruelty and violence beyond imagining, when he knows that our lives are short and pitiful... when a man can go through all that and still fall in love, that man is a hero."**_

_**-Ash Ketchum**_

Note to self: Staple idiot mouth shut at next opportunity.

Ritchie and I had just stepped into the arena. It's vaguely circular, but that isn't for aesthetic value. Circular shapes can take more force than flat edges without breaking, and considering what goes on here that's probably a good thing. This is where training and battles occur. In deference to the fact that this is a school and not a warzone, the walls are padded to prevent injury. The floors aren't though- they're stainless steel and they look hard as hell. They'd have to be to resist Ki attacks. There is, supposedly, some sort of multi-plated hydraulic cushion system under there so that hitting the floor won't break your neck, but... damn. It's stainless steel. Fancy contraption or not, there's only so hard you can hit it without dying. There's never been a death at the Academy while I've been here, but I've heard the rumours. And there have been a hell of a lot of injuries.

Up above the duelling area there are observation decks, which are currently occupied by what feels like the entire school. Apparently yours truly being chosen as one of the five sacrificial lambs has aroused some interest in the student body. The odds against me beating Ritchie were set at one in five-hundred (Gary might have been worried about me but he was still Gary- he was taking bets within ten minutes of my decision to fight) so I'd get some money if I won. And if I lost... well, at the least the crowd would get some entertainment, although I do pity whichever janitor is going to have to scrape me off the walls.

The arena is used for training and is usually occupied by an entire class, but as this is an official battle the entire area is clear. Ritchie and I will get the place to ourselves until one of us is incapable of continuing, or a clear winner is decided by the referee.

Speak of the devil. Here he comes now; arms raised and whistle in mouth.

"This will be an official battle between Ritchard Hiroshi of Frodomar City and Ash Ketchum, birthplace unknown! The combatants will fight one another until one can no longer continue, forfeits, or is determined unable to battle by myself. No pokemon or weapons allowed. Combatant Hiroshi, do you understand?"

"Perfectly." He says, smugly. The ref turns to me.

"Combatant Ketchum, do you understand?"

I just nod. He drops his arms.

"Battle commence!"

Ritchie backs off fast. I don't blame him after our last fight. I let him go. There isn't much I can do to stop him, and it looks funny- the rich kid is running away from me.

"You gonna come fight? Should I wait here?" I drawl at him. There's some laughter from the upper decks, and Ritchie's face darkens. He always takes laughter personally.

"Fine Ketchum. You're so eager for death, try this!"

Idiot. Telegraphing his attack just so he can showboat. By the time he says "this" I'm already moving, dodging to the left. The fireball he spewed out just sails right on by me.

"I'm shocked Ritch. Didn't think you had even one ball."

More laughter. Okay, he's pissed, meaning he should do something stupid now.

Yep. He runs right at me, trying to catch me off guard. Once he's close enough he spews a long stream of fire at me- a flamethrower attack. It's dangerous, but attacking in a straight line was stupid. I move right fast, and close in while he's still burning the air where I was. I try to get a kick in to his gut. He manages to dodge, but not completely. I clip him in the side, and he gets spun around and falls on his ass. He doesn't bother getting up, and starts flaming at me from the ground. I'm forced to make an awkward dive to the side to get away, and I back out of range. He stands and we circle each other warily.

I need to find a way to get in close without getting burned, but with his guard up...

_Stay calm. Use your head and wait for an opening, just like Riley taught you._

Ritchie has a certain type of mean cunning, but I wouldn't really call it intelligence. He isn't very tactical, and I think he's exhausted all the moves he knows. He's arrogant too, so he probably believes last time was a fluke. If I can get an opening, I can wipe the floor with him

We both make a few jabs and feints, but neither one of us is ready to reengage yet. The audience is giving us some fair minded and well-appreciated feedback:

"Tear his gorram nose orf!"

"Yeah, give 'im a kick to the bumps!"

Okay, we aren't the most highbrow crowd around. Even over the masses of morons I can hear Misty and Gary:

"You can do it Ash!" Yells Misty. I guess my earlier comments about my friends doubting me got to her.

"Come on Ketchum! Beat that dick!"

Yeah, Gary's creepy. I've stopped asking whether it's intentional or not, double entendre is just a part of who Gary is.

"Win this one and I'll let you grab Misty's- fuck, ow!"

Hahaha, eat it Gary. I hope Mist hits him once for me, 'cause I'm kind of busy right now. Ritchie rushes forward, obviously trying for the flamethrower thing again. Yeah, because it worked so well the first time.

"_But he's going to attack directly in front again..."_

And there it is. My opening. Ritchie lets loose with a stream of flame. Instead of dodging, I drop to the ground. I can hear shouts from the crowd- they all think I've been vaporized. It's a definite weakness in Ritchie's technique that he can't see what's happening to his target, as the stream of flame blocks them from view. When it finally dissipates he's grinning. He thinks he's killed me.

Wrong.

I rise, full of wrath. I've had just about enough of Ritchie fucking Hiroshi, and it's time to get him off my back for good. He's completely taken by surprise and he hesitates, which is all the opening I need. I focus all of my rage, my anger, my desire to live, all of my energy into my strike and-

Something... weird happens.

Time appears to slow down, and it's like I can see everything all at once. The look of shock, on Ritchie's face, the way Misty's expression is switching from horror at my apparent death to surprise as I rise up, the intense grimace on the Professor's face as he studies me... I can see everyone and everything in the room, all at once. My arm is... glowing. It shines an intense blue, as energy seems to crackle off of it. Suddenly it makes contact with Ritchie's face, and everything happens simultaneously.

Time speeds back up. There's an explosion at the end of my arm, and it feels as if someone is trying to tear it in two. When the blinding blue flash clears, I can see that Ritchie has flown a good thirty feet back and isn't moving. The crowd is silent. The ref runs up to Ritchie, checks his vitals, and sighs in relief. He then turns to the audience.

"Richard Hiroshi is unconscious and cannot continue! Ash Ketchum is the victor."

I sigh, and slump to the ground. Ritchie is an ass, but I'm glad I didn't kill him. There's enough blood on my hands.

Speaking of blood on my hands, my arm looks as if someone had tried, with some success, to puree it. There are lacerations all down it, and it feels prickly, the way things do when you sleep on them. Professor Oak has stepped down from the observation decks and comes to help me up while the medics rush Ritchie away for treatment.

"Well done, Ash. Your trainer is to be congratulated for bringing out such a splendid Ki." He then leans in and whispers in my ear: "Electric type aura? I suppose I should have guessed what with your close connection to Pikachu. Get yourself seen to lad, you're a mess."

I'm only too happy to oblige. My arm hurts like hell, and right now I need to think. Aura. It's real- I can use it! Aura...

Despite the pain, I can't keep an idiot grin off my face as I'm led out to receive medical treatment. I can hear harsh whispers from the crowd, but a few people are cheering. For me.

I could get used to this.

* * *

><p>I sort of regret that sentiment later, as Riley grins at me. I know what that grin means.<p>

Let me back up here. After the fight I was dragged back to the infirmary so they could patch up my arm. I didn't see Ritchie there, but that isn't really surprising. The infirmary was huge, as injuries were so common.

Professor Oak left me alone fairly fast. Well, he was the head of the academy and probably had better things to do. The disinterested nurse Joy who took care of me bandaged my arm, told me to rest for a few hours, seemed surprised when I didn't try to see up her skirt, and left. Now I remember where I heard about that Brock guy- apparently the nurses run and hide every time he gets injured.

Things are fairly boring for a while. The cuts are painful but not deep, and they'll probably be fine in a day or two. Sitting here with nothing to distract me, all I can do is worry about where this is all headed. I wish Riley would tell me more about this stuff. Why do I have it? And what the hell am I supposed to use it for?

After first bell, Gary and Misty come racing in. Misty grabs me by the shirt and hefts me up from my reclining position to look her in the eyes. Gary jumps on my bed and pokes his finger into my chest.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" They yell simultaneously.

"Umm... winning?" I answer, a little unsure.

"Ash, you ran straight into a Ki attack!" Misty starts to shake me.

"And then you blow a shitload of power into one arm and release all at once!" Gary prods me.

I start laughing. I can't help it. Misty and Gary are usually so different, and it seems that only their weird friend Ash can unite them.

"What's so funny!" Misty yells in my face. I grin.

"Aww. Were the water girl and the STD king worried about little old me?"

This, of course, sets them off again. But after they yell themselves out, we all start to laugh. I get to go with them and Ritchie got put in the hospital- what's not to laugh at?

"Plus, that attack was kind of cool." Gary admits. "What are you going to call it?"

"I hadn't really thought about names. Hell, I didn't even know I could do it until I did it."

Misty frowns at this piece of information, but Gary's grin gets wider.

"Well, it involves your fist and lightning, so I think you should name it after Misty."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I think you should call it 'the shocker'."

There's sort of a brief horrified silence before Misty whips out the mallet and starts to wail on him. I just sit there confused.

"I don't get it."

"I'll explain!" Says a beaten, bloody Gary.

"Don't you dare!" Growls Misty, her face as red as her hair. She flourishes the mallet and Gary backs down. He's cowed, but still grinning.

"Why not Misty? What's so wrong about 'the shocker'? Misty likes the shocker, right Ash?"

She beats him down again. I just lay back and let it all wash around me. I think I must have fallen asleep for a few minutes, because I can't remember Misty and Gary calming down, but when I wake up again they're just talking. I decide not to open my eyes, as I'm kinda tired. Misty and Gary are great, but they can be exhausting.

"-have to tell him one day Misty. You can't go on much longer like this." I hear Gary say as I swim back to consciousness.

"I know, Okay?" Misty sounds... miserable. Is she okay?

"He isn't actually stupid Misty. He will find out one day, and when he does he'll be hurt that you wouldn't tell him yourself. He'll think that you're ashamed of it."

"I'm not ashamed!"

"Then why won't you tell him?"

Silence.

"Misty, he's a good person. And as much as it kills me to say this, he'd be fairly good looking if he tried. You aren't going to be the only girl to notice him forever."

Misty says something in response, but I can't hear it. General weariness drags me back into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>And, here I was. When I'd woken up, my friends were gone, and in their place was Riley, grinning at me.<p>

I know what that grin means.

"So" he says, "electric type aura, eh? Rare. Very rare. As in, not since Aaron rare. You get curiouser and curiouser kid."

I blink stupidly at him. "Wha?"

He laughs. "Nevermind. It was a nice attack, although not one I would have used on a rookie. It can be a lot more damaging than that if you want it to be. Shame about the blowback, but your arm will heal."

"Aura has types?"

"Yep. Just like Ki. Unlike Ki, however, you should be able to use most of them. Ki users are usually restricted to a few types, most of which are related- like Water and Ice. Aura users are usually only proficient in a few types, but we can use more than just a few."

"What types are you proficient in?"

"Steel, mainly. A little bit of fighting and fire. Your friend Ritchie is a weak ass by the way,"

"I know, and he isn't my friend."

"Hmmm. Steel and fighting are my main ones, but I can get by in at least six or seven others. Electric is a great one to start off with kid- good attack, good speed, and few weaknesses. Stay away from earth users though, there isn't much you'll be able to do to ground and rock types."

"Even if they can only use Ki?"

"Hey, if it doesn't conduct, it doesn't conduct. And don't think Ki users aren't a threat, they're just less of a threat than... some things."

Before I can ask what he means by that, he carries on.

"Anyway, it's great that you can finally use aura now. We can move on to basic training!"

My stomach clenches.

"I thought I was in basic training..." I say uncertainly.

"This is basic training mark 2. Man, I've been waiting forever to break out that chainsaw!"

"Chainsaw? This is a joke right?"

It was not.

Riley dragged me out of school and back to what I could not get him to stop calling his sanctum sanctorum. Despite my feeble protests that I really deserved a sick day, we began basic training mark 2. Mark 2 seemed a lot like mark 1 to me, with the exception that it was a million times more insane. The chainsaw was brought out, as were the katanas, a set of nunchuku, the broadsword, the flamethrower and this paper fan thing that could do a surprising amount of damage when wielded in chibi form. Riley spent most of the day attempting to slice me, dice me, roast me, or otherwise shuffle my ass off the mortal coil. Then, when my "friendly introduction to the glorious world of weapons" was complete, he decided it was time for some close combat. No, literally, he had Zydanya use close combat on me. After being tenderized by his pokemon, I was apparently ready "to be taught some moves". He started sending blow after blow of aura infused pain after me, and insisted that now I could use aura I should do the same. After I finally learned to infuse my limbs with the power of aura, sort of like what I had done with Ritchie in that alley, he simply sped up to the point where I could barely see him. If this is what aura can do, I can see why we spent so much time on meditation- if Riley ever got really pissed, my entire school couldn't take him down.

Finally we stopped. I let my bruised, battered form slip to the ground. My arm feels like its on fire, and every other part of my body is letting me know that I am so going to pay for this in the morning. Riley walks over to me and leans in.

"You okay kid?" He asks. His voice has genuine sympathy in it, which is appropriate I guess, since he's the one who just nearly killed me.

"Just... fine..." I gasp. "Step a little closer sensei... I need... to strangle you..."

He just smiles. Not his usual grin, but a real smile.

"Yeah, basic training's a bitch. It was for me too, and I didn't have to go nearly as fast as you."

I sit up.

"Who trained you?" I ask, genuinely curious. He shakes his head.

"A story for another time kid, if I ever feel like telling it."

He sat down beside me.

"Kid... listen. We only have a few days before you go and... shit." He sighed. "There's a lot I'm not telling you. Some because you're safer that way and some because I'm not sure about it myself. It's just..." He looks me in the eyes. "This tournament is a lot more than it appears to be. There are forces behind this thing that you don't understand yet. You're heading in to a situation that's more dangerous than you can comprehend."

"I thought Oak said they do this type of stuff a lot."

"Oak doesn't know everything. Forces are beginning to move that I thought would stay dormant forever. There's a lot I can't tell you, but I want you to know that you have enemies. All of you- your friends too. Somebody wants this tournament turned into a bloodbath, and I'm not sure why yet."

Riley isn't serious often, but right now he looks grimmer than I've ever seen him. I think I'm getting a glimpse of the warrior he claims to be.

"Ash, this is your first true mission as a part of the aura guardians. I know we haven't trained for very long, but I'm out of time and right now I need you to be the man I think you can be. I have... other duties. Things that cannot be avoided. I'll be available to give advice via your cell phone, but you'll basically be in on this alone. I need you to go to this tournament, protect your friends, and try to find the whisperers in the darkness. Try to find out what this tournament is really for, who's behind it, and if possible, try to stop them. Can you do that?"

I was silent for a long time, thinking. Eventually I spoke up.

"You want a boy of fifteen, a boy who just learned aura, to go to a tournament with professional fighters and some of the best Ki users of his generation, and attempt to discover the motivations of some of the most powerful men in the world? And to do this, you've given him a hyperactive dog, a month and a bit of training and the vague warning that he has 'enemies'?"

Riley nods.

"Shit" I smile, "I guess if I couldn't take a joke I wouldn't have joined. You got it sensei."

He smiles back and puts an arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks kid. You'll do fine, I know it."

I've been trying to keep from trusting Riley, but it's getting harder and harder. I guess part of it is that I never really had a dad and... well he's a dick sometimes, but he's pretty cool. He gets up and goes to the side of the room.

"I've got something for you." He says. "I know you don't know when your birthday actually is, but think of it as an early present. It might keep you alive- it saved my life a few times."

He turns back around, present in hand. It's a long scabbard. It was probably black once, but time and use seems to have turned it a dark mottled grey. The hilt looks more impressive than the scabbard, with a jet black leather grip and the dull sheen of metal serving as a pommel. I take the scabbard out of Riley's hands and unsheathe the sword. It's some form of Nihonto, obviously based off the katana but with less of a curve to the blade. It's slightly longer than regulation length too- probably built for someone taller than me. There's the classical wave pattern up and down the blade, meaning it's been dually tempered to be both strong and flexible. It isn't the prettiest thing on earth, but it looks functional, useful and wickedly sharp.

"I know it's kind of ugly" Riley says a little sheepishly "but it's the first one I ever used in real combat, so I thought that-"

"It's beautiful." I whisper hoarsely.

I stare into the dull reflection of the blade and feel oddly... complete. Part of me is in love with this hunk of metal and the things it represents. It isn't the best part of me, I'll admit, but it's an important part. I can see my own eyes in the steel, but I'm not fooled by the looks.

I know that whoever is staring back isn't me.


	8. Chapter 8: That Which Binds Us

**8-That Which Binds Us**

"_**People have often asked me what the war between the regions was like. I tell them all the same thing: There was no war. I don't say this to make light of the conflict, for it was as widespread as it was terrifying. No, I say there was no war because war is an event where brave men face one another on a distant battlefield, a stunning show of courage and heroics. We weren't men, and we sure as hell weren't heroes. We were a bunch of boys, killing each other out of fear and spite. It wasn't a war, it was a murder."**_

_**-Professor Oak**_

_The sky wept tears unto the earth, and in my heart, fell I._

"_Shut the fuck up Kaelus."_

Not that I couldn't appreciate the sentiment. I loved the rain, usually, but not even I could love this day. It was grey and wet and ugly. The sky seemed monochrome and endless, as if the horizon had dropped off the earth to make room for more rain. I was waiting at the bus stop, getting absolutely soaked. I'd given up on the idea of going to find shelter, as at this point it hardly mattered. The bus was supposed to be here an hour ago, but hey, I should have known better. I am Ash Ketchum after all, and thinking that the bus would be on time during a monsoon was tempting fate. Nothing will ever be on time when I need it.

I was wearing the usual. Shirt from Salvation Army, jeans from church donation box, shoes from God knows where. Leather jacket that had seen better centuries. It was about as close to a uniform as I ever got, and none of it was rainproof. In my bag I had two other sets of equally beat up, non-matching clothes, some toiletries, two books and the money Riley had given me "for expenses". And that was it. Other than my pallet back in my room, the contents of my bag encompassed everything I owned on this earth. Well, there was also the sword strapped around my back and a few other interesting... toys that Riley had given me. He had actually outfitted me pretty well in the weapons department, and he seemed to have a never-ending supply of things that killed. Better yet, he had spent the remaining few days we had left teaching me techniques with both my weapons and my aura. I was starting to feel like I might actually live.

_You don't like poetry? Strange. You have a surprisingly romantic soul considering what a bitter, undereducated little bastard you are. Ok, we'll try something a little closer to your level: One hundred bottles of beer on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer..._

"_Look, are you even in my head for a reason? For an ethereal voice of mystery, you seem pretty useless."_

Kaelus' voice is low now now, seductive and promising.

_Oh, there is much I know of use to you, Ash. The next time we fight let me show you... let me rip. Let me tear. Let me KILL!_

"_No."_

_Aww, please? Pretty please?_

"_No!"_

_You need me Ash. Maybe you don't like the part of you that created me, but you need me all the same. You will realize this before the end._

"_What are you?"_

But Kaelus is silent. Sure, when babies need eating or Misty needs raping, I can't shut him up, but when I need answers...

My diatribe is cut short. The bus rolls up and stops in front of me. It isn't a standard transportation bus, it must have been chartered. The door opens up, and the driver stares at me apologetically.

"You sure you wanna open up that door, man? Maybe you should just let me get wet a little longer."

He coughs. "Uh, sorry kid. Ms. Versace had a make-up emergency."

"My appearance is of the _utmost importance._" I hear a female voice drawl from somewhere in the back. The bus driver and I share a commiserating glance, and I step on. Misty, Gary, Brock and Giselle are all in the back, completely dry. Gary probably got a ride over, and the other three live in dorms.

I walk to the back and throw my lone bag in the luggage pile. Misty and Gary don't look surprised by my dearth of belongings, but Brock gives me a look of pity, and Giselle gives me one of pure contempt. I'm not sure which one pisses me off more. Misty and Gary must have explained how "special" I was on the ride over.

Mist coughs politely. "Well now that we're all here, why don't we introduce ourselves? Just so, you know, we can get along, do our best?"

Giselle gives a disapproving humph.

"Well, Misty, I hardly think that's necessary. I mean, I already know the four _people_ who are here."

She looks right at me as she says "People". That fucking whore.

"Introductions?" I say, horrifically cheerfully before Misty can retort. "Well, allow me, Misty!"

I give everyone a big smile and point towards Gary.

"This is Gary Motherfucking Oak! He's rich, but don't hold it against him because he's also popular, so I'm sure his life must be a living hell. He's actually a nice guy for a total shithead, but you won't ever find out because he'll be dead of gonorrhoea by age twenty." I turn my gaze towards Misty.

"This is Mist something-unpronounceable Waterflower. She has an enormous chip on her shoulder because of her sisters and her appearance, which is stupid because she's way better than all those idiotic, vacuous bitches that are all tits and no brains. Her hobbies mostly involve yelling at me, which is fine considering she's the only girl stupid enough to talk to me."

I extend my arms to point at Giselle and Brock.

"And here we have two of the greatest additions to the group, a total bitch and a pervert! Halle-fucking-lujah!"

This said, I shift my arms so that they're both pointing at me.

"And, the final member of the group, Ash Ketchum, that dirty goddamned orphan with no life, parents or future!" I lower my voice and growl at them dangerously. "If you want to stare at a circus freak, then go pay for a ticket. I'm not putting up with your shit for the whole trip. Leave me alone and I'll return the favour."

I walk away from the four of them and hit up one of the bunks that adorn the walls near the end of the bus. Gary has his head in his hands, and is quietly apologizing to the other two for my behaviour. Misty is shooting daggers at Giselle. Giselle looks almost comically stunned- guess she didn't expect the trash to bite. Brock just has that confused half smile on his face, which is how he always seems to look when I open my mouth. I have a habit of bringing out the best in people.

I'm not really tired, but I close my eyes so that I don't have to talk to anyone. Giselle's words have totally burst my 'you can be somebody' bubble and brought me back to the realities of life. Maybe I should thank her later, the bitch. I can hear Misty, Gary and Brock talking quietly. I could probably make out the words if I strained, but I guess they deserve as much privacy as I can give in such tight quarters. Giselle has apparently dropped out of the conversation. Probably sulking in a corner or something. Things get quiet, and then I hear someone approach me. I stiffen up slightly, but whoever it is just gives me a gentle shake. I roll over and glare, expecting it to be Misty or Gary, but I'm surprised. It's Brock. He backs up slightly when he sees my expression, but eventually he stops and extends his hand.

"Hey. I'm Brock, Pewter city. Nice to meet you."

Okay, the fact that he can say that means he's either stupidly nice or an excellent liar. Misty and Gary look like they're still talking over at the other end of the bus, but it's pretty clear that they're watching us. They must have been pretty convincing to get Brock to come back here. I consider for a moment just telling him to fuck off, but he hasn't really done anything wrong.

"_Dammit Ketchum, risk some kindness for once in your miserable life!"_

I drop the glare and shake his hand.

"Ash. Pallet." I mumble.

He sits on the bunk on the opposite wall. "So, uh... do you want to talk about it?"

Not a great opening line with me. I can practically hear Misty and Gary wince. The old me would have told him to go to hell, but I'd like to think I'd learned something from the past month. I let myself fall back onto the bunk.

"I'm sorry about earlier okay? You didn't do anything, and I shouldn't have called you a pervert without knowing you. I'm just... sick of comments."

"Yeah, I can see how they would get a guy down."

No. No you don't see at all. But he's just trying to be nice.

"Look, I don't know how Misty and Gary got you to come back here, but you don't owe anything to me or to them. You can just walk away. No one would blame you."

"I would blame me."

I laugh. "You're actually a decent guy. Do you have any idea how rare that is?" I wave him away. "Come on, go play with the normal kids. You can tell Gary and Mist that I'm fine and I'm sorry."

He smiles and gets back up. But I have one more thing to say to him. He's halfway back to the others, so I have to raise my voice.

"Brock?"

"Yeah?"

"This tournament isn't a joke. People are going to die, friendly competition or not. So... if shit goes down, I got your back. Giselle's too, if it comes to it. Pretty soon we aren't going to have the luxury of hating each other."

Brock looks stunned (I think- I wish he'd open his eyes) but then smiles.

"Yeah. You too."

He returns to Misty and Gary. I can hear him say "...wasn't so bad. I don't know what you guys were so afraid of..." before I tune it out with a smile. I guess Misty and Gary are looking out for me in their own way, even if I don't agree with how they do it. I settle down and fake sleep gently transitions into the real thing.

* * *

><p>No dreams, thank God. It's unusual for me not to have any, but I'm just glad that I didn't wake everyone up with screaming. My friends don't know about the nightmares yet, and I'd like to keep it that way.<p>

We're parked by the side of the road somewhere. Saffron isn't that far away- maybe thirty hour's drive- but we aren't in a hurry and there's no need to risk an accident by exhausting the driver. He's up front somewhere, snoring on his own cot. There isn't much but wilderness between metropolises in Kanto, so we don't have much of a choice but to sleep on the side of the road. Normally wild Pokémon attacks would be a problem, but we're the Academy's representatives in the tournament- if we can't take care of a few pissed of Ratatta then we wouldn't have been sent. The area looks fairly peaceful anyway. We're parked near a field, somewhere to the west of Saffron. Viridian is long behind us, and we'd avoided Cerulean as there were reports that the Mount Moon routes were unstable. We should probably be rolling in to Saffron sometime noon tomorrow. There we'd face the preliminaries- whatever they were- and if we passed we'd get shunted onto the boat for the Orange islands. Training with Riley had never been easy, but waiting to go into battle was even worse. I had no idea what to expect, I couldn't get my friends involved, and-

I snap from my reverie to a state of alertness. Someone's behind me... but then I hear the breathing and I relax. It's Misty.

"Ash? You up?"

"Yeah Mist. Went to bed too early I guess. You?"

"Couldn't sleep." She whispers and sits down beside me.

"Nervous?"

"No!"

I smile in the dark. Classic Misty. She hates to show any sign of weakness, even to her friends. Especially to her friends. She thinks of us as her responsibility.

"It's okay to be a bit nervous Mist. It keeps us on our toes."

She sighs. "Okay, I guess I am a bit jumpy. I'm worried something bad will happen."

I stay stonily silent for nearly a minute. Then: "We've been over this Misty. It was my choice and I don't regret it."

"Why though? Why risk this?"

"Why do you?"

"Answer the question."

"Well, it's the big leagues isn't it? I guess I'm just trying to prove I belong here." Nice dodge, me. I can't exactly tell her about aura and Riley and how this tournament is more than it appears to be. Although in reflection there's an uncomfortable amount of truth in what I've just told Misty.

"What do you mean?"

"All my life I've been told I was trash. It's my chance to prove everyone wrong. My chance to show that I'm not just some... thing that's fit only for study and dissection."

"Nobody thinks of you like that!"

I stare at her. I can only make out her outline in the dark, but I'm damn sure she can guess what kind of facial expression I'm making right now.

"Well most people don't think of you like that."

I continue to stare.

"Well I don't think of you like that!"

I chuckle. "I know Mist. And I doubt you'll ever know how much that means to me. But you don't think of me like that because you're an unfortunately kind person. This is my chance to show all the assholes in the world that they were wrong about me. The people who don't think of me as people. People like Giselle."

"You're trying to prove yourself to the vacuous sluts of the world? I swear that girl must have a cow for an ancestor."

"Nah. Probably a pig. If it were a cow she'd have bigger tits."

Misty giggles. "Ash! Shh! You're going to wake up the others!"

"Ooh, what a shame. Do I dare to deprive mistress Versace of her beauty sleep? Lord knows she needs it."

Mist giggles harder and it isn't long before I'm laughing with her. I may be heading into danger and madness, but... hey, at least I'm not alone.

After so many years, at least I'm not alone.

* * *

><p>I'm going to describe Saffron as bustling, but only because I can't come up with a better word for it. Bustling implies busy, which was very true of the city, but bustling also sort of indicates progress towards a goal, which was not. It seemed as if everyone here was in a rush, even if there was no reason to be. The entire city seemed to be driven, as if worry and hurry were somehow virtues. The place seemed alive but it was the kind of life driven by the fear of death. I hated the place immediately.<p>

Our driver had dropped us off near the city center, given us vague directions to some stadium, and then had vanished. If any of us made it, then the Saffron authorities would be responsible for our transport from that point onwards. If any of us failed, then the bus would pick us up later.

The five of us follow the bus driver's half remembered directions. We cluster together in a roughly pentagonal formation in an attempt to ward off the overwhelming feeling that we don't belong here. Even Giselle is quiet as we approach the building where we're supposed to fight in. That's probably a good thing- every time we speak we get glares from the natives. They can tell we're not from here, and are therefore automatically inferior.

We enter the building and calm down a little. This seems like a school, and despite the fact it's much bigger than the academy in Pallet, at least it's vaguely familiar. We must have entered the famous Academic Society of Saffron.

Of course, it's always wise to check. We leave that to Misty though. She's less easy to intimidate than Brock and Gary and she's, uh 'better with people' than Giselle and I. Giselle would attempt to out-arrogant anyone we come across and I would probably try to tear them a new one.

We slowly approach a cluster of girls. Brock and Gary exchange a knowing glance, and I groan mentally. I should have known never to let those two meet. The girl who looks as if she's in charge of the pack (or do girls travel in herds?) has long green hair which flows to her back, and a severe maroon uniform. Misty approaches her cautiously.

"Excuse me, is this the Academic Society of Saffron? We're here for the preliminaries."

The girls continue talking to their leader. It's impossible that they couldn't have heard Misty, so they must be ignoring her. She coughs and tries again.

"Excuse me-"

The green haired girl finally speaks. "Does anyone hear a noise? I think an insect must have gotten into the school."

The gaggle of girls (yeah, gaggle is a good word for them) laugh. Misty stands there fuming, and I decide that enough is enough. I was going to try to be a gentleman here, for my friends' sake, but nobody calls Misty an insect and gets away with it while I'm around. I walk up to Mist and pat her shoulder.

"Good try Mist, but I don't think manners are going to be rewarded here. Let me try the direct approach."

I switch my attention to the girl in the lead. She still has her back turned. Well, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's pissing people off.

"Excuse me you grass headed bitch, is this ASS academy?"

She whips around, eyes ablaze. Her groupies stare at me in total shock.

"_What_ did you just call me?"

"I'm sorry, is you're hearing as deficient as your manners? Well, if you had taken the stick out of your ass long enough to be polite to my friend here (I nod towards Misty) then you'd know that we're here to take the preliminary test for the tournament held on the Kindara archipelago and we need to know if we're in the right place. We came here to battle, not to get insulted by the Saffron skank."

"Uneducated barbarian! I am Sabrina, premier student of the society! You dare to insult me in your ruffian tongue-"

"Ruffian tongue? Insulting my Pallet accent now are we? Pretty big words considering that you sound like a horse trying to vomit. Why does everyone from Saffron sound like their trying to talk with their nose?" I turn back to Misty. "Well, if princess pain-in-the-ass is their premier student, then we must be in the right place. Let's go Mist."

Misty and I walk back to our group. I've managed to stun everyone within hearing distance, so we somehow get out of there before a brawl breaks out. It isn't until we've managed to locate the registration booth, gotten signed up, and have sat down in the antechamber that Brock asks what the hell just happened.

"What was that all about?" He asks me.

"Two things. Tactics and friendship."

"What?"

"Firstly friendship. Nobody calls Misty an insect in front of me and walks away unchallenged. Gary would have backed me up if I'd given him time."

Gary nods. Misty glares at me. I sigh.

"Yes, yes Misty, I know you don't need people protecting you. We're friends. Deal with it." I turn back to Brock. "Secondly, tactics. Saffron is famous for its psychic type users, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, psychic powers take a lot of control and precision to use. So if one of us has to fight a girl that was in that group-"

"Then they'll be too angry to fight properly." Brock finishes. "You know, when I heard you had no Ki I wondered what the big deal was. Now I kind of understand why everyone was so afraid of you. You can be a real clever bastard when you want to be."

"Um... thank you?"

He smiles. "I meant it as a compliment. Defending a friend isn't something to be ashamed about. But maybe next time calm down a little? I mean, what would you do if somebody slapped Misty, start a war?"

I look away, embarrassed. He's right, I am too overprotective of her. Gary too, but in his case I don't show it as often.

"Nah, just a police action. Maybe a minor insurrection. Although if somebody tried to slap Misty, a war would be the least of their problems. I'd have to start one just to hold her back."

Misty glares at me again as the others laugh. I give her a half repentant grin, and her glare softens. She really is a good friend, even if she finds that fact hard to admit.

We sit in the antechamber, waiting. There must be dozens of waiting rooms, because it's just the five of us in here. I guess it's a precaution so that two people fighting each other aren't in the same room- they wouldn't want any battles starting outside of the ring. We've each been assigned a translucent key tag with a diode and some meaningless symbols on it. Apparently all the matchups are randomly decided by computer, and the key card will flash and vibrate when it's your turn to fight. Until that happens, there isn't really much to do except sit here and sweat it out.

Misty and Gary start up a conversation with Brock about his breeding habits, which sounds disturbing until I realize they mean pokemon breeding. Giselle sits slightly apart from their group, looking haughty and displeased. I sit away from both them and Giselle, too shy to join the conversation but not antisocial enough to leave the room. No one was in obvious distress, but there was an unmistakeable air of tension in the room. Finally Giselle breaks. Whether it's from the pressure or from her evident distaste of the company she finds herself in, she stands up and prepares to leave.

"I cannot stand to listen to another second of the filthy fornication habits of beasts. I'm leaving."

"But then how will we watch your fight? We should support each other." Gary says.

"I do not need the support of commoners. Good day." And with that she storms out. Or tries to at least. I call out to her just before she slams the door.

"Giselle!"

She turns and scowls at me.

"What do you want, you putrescent piece of trash?"

"Well, if you're going to complain about the filthy fornication habits of beasts, you should wear different underwear. A lacy black thong? Seriously?"

Giselle flushes crimson and slams the door. I smirk.

"Umm..." Brock starts, a little too casually "How did you know she was-"

"I didn't. She seemed the type, I made a guess and got lucky. Besides, that's Giselle all around isn't it? A two dollar whore in designer clothes?"

Gary and Misty snorted with laughter. Brock just looked thoughtful.

"I don't suppose you've ever-"

"No." I said, cutting him off. "I don't know what kind of underwear nurse Joys wear."

"Then-"

"Likewise with officer Jennys."

The snorts of the other two develop into full blown laughter. Just then there's a buzzing and flashing. Gary's tag has gone off, so we follow him to the arena where he's supposed to fight. Pallet pride be damned, the people in Saffron may be stuck up but they know how to live. The arena is nicer, and the observation decks have actual seats instead of bleachers. There's a set of tinted panes of reinforced glass between the audience and the fighting floor too, so that the audience doesn't distract the fighters and can't shout advice to them. It's a nice set up.

Gary leaves the group to head for the fighters entrance, and we see him appear in the arena with the referee and his opponent, some Saffron kid that we don't know. Gary's Nidorino kicks the crap out of the kid's Ponyta and the whole thing is done in about five minutes. You can say what you want about Gary, at least he's efficient.

We decide to hang around and watch a few other matches rather than sit in the antechamber. The trainers fighting today vary enormously in skill, but most of the pokemon are what you would expect from rookie level trainers. Ponytas, Abras, Raticates, lots of bugs... there are a few exceptions and a couple of Johto pokemon (Johto was doing the test with Kanto, as their government was not stable enough to hold preliminaries on their own) but for the most part there were no surprises.

What did come as a slight surprise was that they changed the rules every fight to keep us on our toes. Some were one on one pokemon battles, some were three on three. There were also fights between humans, although these were more likely to result in injuries, so they came up less often. About an hour after Gary's fight, Brock's tag flashes. We wish him luck, and he descends to the ring. His match is a three on three, but he wins with just his Geodude. Brock may be a breeder at heart, but he has an excellent grasp of his pokemon's limits and abilities.

Misty's tag is the next to go, about twenty minutes after Brock's fight. She's up against Sabrina the teenage bitch in a one on one... with no pokemon. Misty has a far harder time of it than either Brock or Gary did (Sabrina may be annoying but her power is enormous) however Misty triumphs in the end with a devastating bubblebeam attack. Is it wrong of me that I enjoyed the sight of Sabrina leaving the arena dripping wet and spitting mad? Serves her right. Misty the insect just kicked her ass.

So now everyone has passed with the exception of myself (and possibly Giselle. We still hadn't heard from her.) Misty, Gary and Brock are busy slapping each other on the back and telling me I'll be fine. I have to admit, I feel better about this whole thing. I feel that I could have beaten almost all of the people who have fought today, so hopefully my actual match won't be that tough. I settle back in my seat and wait for it to be my turn.

And wait.

And wait.

Once seven rolls around, I tell the others to go get food without me. When they return, it's almost eight at night and I still haven't been called. I must be one of the last battles of the day.

"What the hell? Are they ever going to call Ash?"

"I told you guys you could leave if you're bored." I say around a mouthful of burger that Misty was kind enough to bring back for me.

"No way. Who do you think we are, thong wearing jerks who abandon their friends?"

I laugh, a little nervously. I wasn't too worried about this fight, but hours of waiting has given me time to stew on it. What if I do fail here? What the hell will I tell Riley?

Brock picks up on my nerves. "Worried?"

I nod slightly. "A little. I'll be fine. It's just-"

My pocket starts to vibrate. About damn time. "That's me. See you guys in a little bit."

"Good luck!"

"Don't get hurt!"

"If it's a girl, cop a feel! Ow!"

Heh. Gary never changes. I step down from the observation deck and into the fighters' chamber. A bored looking official glances at a clipboard.

"Ketchum, A.?"

"In the flesh."

"Very well. This will be something of a special battle Mister Ketchum. It is a two versus two battle, but one of the two must be yourself. In other words, you and one of your pokemon will fight the other trainer and one of their pokemon. You may attack either target as you see fit, however in the interest of safety it is advised that you hang back and merely provide support for your pokemon. You must select one pokemon to use now. After you enter and have seen your opponent's pokemon, the referee will give you five minutes to come up with a strategy. You will then fight until both members of a team are incapacitated or until someone has surrendered. Do you understand?"

I nod.

"Alright. Please select your pokemon now."

Hmmm, tough. Riolu is out, as I don't want to have to reveal him this early. But both Pikachu and Eevee are good choices. Pikachu is fast and has great attacks... but his defence isn't that great. He'll push himself hard for me if I need him too, but it'll hurt him. Eevee is the sturdier of the two, but has no ranged attacks.

"_Hmm... the hell with it. I'll go with Eevee. He needs the practice anyway, and I'm a close-in fighter too. If I'm fighting a ranged battle then I've already fucked up."_

I grab Eevee's pokeball and tell the official that I'm going to use my Eevee. He nods, notes it down and asks me to proceed through the door. I enter the arena, and the door I used slams behind me with an ominous thud. In the center of the field is the ref with my opponent. She's a girl my age with light brown hair and dimples.

"_This might not be so bad. She doesn't look that tough._

She smiles at me as I approach. "We're going to beat you into a bloody pulp."

Okay, maybe this wasn't going to be so easy. She looks cute, but seems to have a real mean streak behind that pretty face. The ref repeats the rules that the official had already laid out, and instructs us to release our pokemon so that the five minute strategy planning could begin.

"Go Eevee!"

"Veeee!"

Eevee may look cute and cuddly, but he stands there as proud as any warrior. The girl smirks.

"This is going to take even less effort than planned. Go Crusher!"

A red light shoots from her pokeball and begins to grow. And grow. And grow. I think my jaw drops a little as her pokemon finally materializes in front of me.

"Veee!"

I may not be on aura talking terms with Eevee yet, but I can understand an "Oh, fuck" when I hear one. As the monster rears above me, I can't help but share the sentiment.

"TYRANITAR!" it roars.

* * *

><p><strong>So the first eight chapters are a sort of trial run. If you feel like reviewing, then please mention whether or not you think I should keep up with it and any suggestions you have for where it should go. I do, however, have a vague plot outline already:<strong>

**SPOILER ALERT**

**Ash will continue on to the tournament, and along the way he will meet May, the cheerful daughter of an influential Hoenn politician, and Dawn, the spoiled but emotionally neglected princess of the Sinnoh royal family. He will also encounter various friends and rivals, such as Zoey, Kenny, Paul, Drew and others (I'm not really sure about Leaf, Brandon and Harley yet- let me think). He will also meet his major enemy, who at this point I intend to be Lucas. Although he makes it to the finals of the tournament, the event is interrupted by a coup d'etat on the Sinnoh throne and Ash will have to prevent a war. After the tournament Ash will only return home briefly, and will then need to visit the three girls at their homes (Cerulean, Petalburg and Twinleaf) to sort out various problems (i.e. Norman trying to marry off May, unrest in the court of Sinnoh, I haven't decided yet for Misty). This will culminate in an assassination attempt on Queen Johanna. After Ash prevents this, he is forced to leave the four regions (I won't say why yet, but it has something to do with Kaelus) as the girls mourn him for dead. This sets me up for a possible sequel where I can go further into depth about Ash's origins and past as he tries to survive his exile.**

**SPOILER ALERT END**

**So tell me whether or not finishing this fic and possibly writing a sequel is worth it or not. I will warn you, I write and update slowly.**


	9. Chapter 9: Super Emo

**Okay, I've read the early reviews (all five of them). The general consensus seems to be "Keep up with the story, tone down the Emo". Got it.**

**Anyways, some of the reviewers have mentioned Mary-Sue-ish tendencies, as well as excessive emo. I've never played defence well, so I decided that this chapter Ash is going to listen to Simple Plan and cut his wrists. Just kidding- I will do my best to fix these problems, but I ask for one more chapter to do it. You see, this chapter was written before I got the reviews, so please forgive any hyper-emo tendencies. I will try to fix them for chapter ten.**

**To my reviewers:**

**Nauran- You are possibly correct, but I felt that dismissing a thirty-thousand word fanfic in one sentence was a little harsh. Besides, Fujin of Shadows proves that hyper Mary-Sue fanfics can still be awesome. Thanks for reviewing though, criticism just shows me where I need improvement.**

**JAM- Thanks. I'm afraid I'm not as good with the other girls as with Misty (I watched the original religiously, but kind of fell out after that) but I'll do my best to keep you interested. May is coming up soon.**

**XAOTL Omega- I named chapter nine after your review. I think 'angsting his way to saving the world' was a great phrase.**

**Fanficmeister- Pretty much, yeah. I'll get more into the nature of Aura and Ki later. Hope you'll keep reading.**

**Jamessamuellassiter-Seriously, thank you. Criticism is good too, but I'm glad to see someone really enjoyed the fic. And it's true, I am new to fanfiction. To fiction as a whole, actually. I had to write commentaries for IB English (don't get me started) but I haven't written fiction since junior high. IB English was less about creative writing and more about how copiously I could praise dead white guys.**

* * *

><p><strong>9- SuperEmo Ash Angsts Himself Up A Victory<strong>

"_**I wonder what I am to Ash. Throughout our lives I've fulfilled different roles... I've been called his friend, his team mate, his lover. But these labels are just that- labels. At the end of the day I am to Ash what I've always been, the thing that only a woman can be. I'm the boot in the arse that gets his ass moving most days."**_

_**-Misty Waterflower**_

"_Okay Ketchum. Keep cool. Just remember your training."_

Unfortunately my training had said nothing about how to avoid being turned into Ash-jelly by a prehistoric monster.

"_Tyranitar, the armour pokemon. Species name _T. bangiras_. Having Eevee go up against that thing directly is definitely a no go, if he got caught he'd be torn in two. And even if we could take it together I doubt that girl would just sit back and let it happen. She doesn't look too strong but she's enough to at least keep one of us distracted."_

As my terror and surprise began to fade, my brain started churning out strategies. Eevee wasn't exactly the pokemon I'd most like to go up against this thing with, but he was the best I had. Pikachu's electric attacks wouldn't penetrate this thing's armour, and although Riolu had the type advantage he lacked the sheer mass to make it work. Eevee at least had some stat altering moves that I could use to slow this thing down. Still, I couldn't fight head on with Eevee. I needed a better answer and I needed it now.

"_There's no way I can take this thing down with Eevee, and it isn't like I can attack the girl before the Tyranitar rips me a new one. Unless...damn. Okay Riley-sensei, I hope your training was the real deal."_

"Eevee" I whisper "look, there's no way you can win this."

"Veeeeeeee!"

"I know you'll try, but it's just too damn big. You can't fight it... but I can."

"Vee!"

"I know the risks. Look, I just need you to keep the girl away long enough for me to do it some damage. Just hold her back, don't hurt her. You can do that, right?"

"Eeevee, eee. Ve Vee eevee."

"I know it's a stupid idea! Look, I'm not going to discuss this with you. I can hurt it, you can't. And I'm not going to order you to go die, okay?"

Eevee looks unhappy, but nods. He's awfully protective of me, but realizes as well as I do that there isn't much he can do to the giant lizard. At best he'd make a particularly furry appetizer before the Tyranitar came after me for the main course. Its better that I fight it from the outset while I still have Eevee to distract the girl.

I turn back to my opponents and try to think. My aura punches and my lightning attacks may be powerful, but they aren't enough to get through that armour. I can't take it out that way, but I'm not stupid enough to go for a direct confrontation anyway. It's stronger than me. Period. If I'm going to win I need to use speed and guts, not power.

If I remember correctly (and despite my irritation with school I do remember things that involve survival) Tyranitars are slow and unwieldy. They're strong as hell and their bodies are damn near impenetrable, but their eyes, noses, mouths, stomachs and joints are their weak points. The blue diamond on their bellies are the easiest weak point to hit, but I'd have to get fairly close to have a chance at hitting that. They're also quick to anger, stupid, and have poor vision. If I can stay one step ahead of it and chip away at its weak points, I may still have a chance.

The girl (I wasn't listening when her name was called and I don't care anyway- either I'll beat her in which case it won't matter or her pet lizard will murder me in which case it really won't matter) is still grinning. Good. She's cocky, too confident in her pokemon's strength to bother with planning a backup strategy. She's also my age, meaning there's no way this Tyranitar is at full strength. Either someone caught it for her, in which case it won't be fully under her control, or she caught a Larvitar and evolved it really fast in which case it won't be a strong Tyranitar. This fight looks bad for me on paper, and I admit that what I'm about to do is stupid, but I've spent my entire life being outmatched. Whether it's Ritchie, the bloody lizard or the whole damn world, everyone seems to have it out for me and I'm still here aren't I?

Well, maybe not for much longer. I hope Misty will stop cursing my corpse long enough to identify me, because if this goes wrong they're going to be sponging me off the walls.

"Five minutes has elapsed!" The ref calls. "Are the challengers ready to battle?"

We nod.

"Fight commence!"

The girl backs off as I suspected she would. She's going to sit back and let her monster stomp us both flat. Too bad princess, Ash has a surprise for you.

"You ready buddy?"

"Vee!"

"Alright. Let's kick some ass!"

Eevee dashes forward and to the left. The Tyranitar turns to track what it thinks is its opponent, and to the girl it must look like I've sent Eevee out to fight. What neither one of them sees until it's too late is that I started running straight forward the moment they got distracted. The Tyranitar has probably caught my movements in its peripheral vision, but deems me unworthy prey. A mere human, less dangerous even than the fox it's supposed to fight. Weak.

Big mistake. I gather up every ounce of aura infused strength I have and kick it in the stomach.

The Tyranitar gives a surprised screech and topples over. I'm elated- hey, I actually took it down!- until it gets back up and I realize that it probably fell more out of surprise than damage. I put the strongest kick I had right into its vulnerable area and it's barely winded? I should have known that taking on a pseudo-legendary wasn't going to be that easy.

The lizard screams in fury and drives its claws through my chest. Or at least, the area where my chest would have been if I hadn't dodged. The thing was a slow mover, but its strikes were fast enough to put me out for good if I underestimated them. Even though the thing missed me its claws gouge through the steel floor (steel, dammit! What that would have done to me I don't want to know) and into the concrete beneath. I might survive a blow from this thing, but if the claws get me I'm dead.

Our brains often wander at the weirdest of times, and as I fight the thing I reflect on the fact that it's a good thing that tinted glass prevents me from seeing the audience. I'm sure the moment everyone realized that I was going to fight Tyranitar myself instead of sending Eevee to die like a good little pokemon Misty started cursing my stupidity. Hopefully I'll survive long enough for her to yell at me.

Tyranitar attempts to turn me into Ash julienne with its claws, and I continue to avoid this by keeping to its side. I pummel it as I move, but as I thought the armour is too thick. I may be stronger than your average human, but my bones are still bones so if I hit too hard I'm just going to break my hand. We're at a stalemate now, but it's one I'm going to have to break. I'll get tired before this thing does, and it only needs to get lucky once. If I keep dancing around it I'll get hit eventually.

I start by setting up a pattern. I hit it, then dodge right when it tries to disembowel me, then I hit it again and repeat. Tyranitar (which by now I have worked out is not the brightest of Arceus' get) roars in frustration as he follows me in a circle. When I judge that he's dizzy enough, I dodge left instead of right. He moves to face where I should have been, which exposes his back to me. I draw back a fist, and punch him right in the back of the kneecap. It has the same effect on the Tyranitar as it would on a human- he screams and falls over. While he's down I jump on his back, grab his throat with one hand and start wailing on his head with the other.

It might have looked funny if it weren't so dangerous. I must look like a midget riding a giant. As it was, it was damned scary. His stubby arms couldn't reach me, but his back spikes poked into me and his violent thrashing threatened to toss me off. If he was brighter he might have tried to scrape me off on the walls, but I wasn't making it easy for him to think. I was slamming his face and head with one hand while the other tightened up on his throat. He may be the biggest badass on earth, but let's see him do shit with no air.

Eventually he does toss me, but by that point I must have done some serious damage to his thought process. Punching him may hurt like hell, but even light blows to the head can result in a concussion if there are enough of them. I hadn't been lucky enough to concuss him, but there was no doubt that he was hurting. But then again, so was I. He tossed me off his back with a particularly violent throe, and then hit me with his tail so hard that I flew back and slammed into a wall. My vision blurred and I felt a wave of nausea, but I couldn't help but grin. Riley's training had worked- I'd come a long way since that first time he hit me. My head might be a little rattled but I was still in the fight and I still had a plan to win.

The Tyranitar staggered towards me, definitely moving more slowly than when we had begun. Its stomach might be weak, but if I was going to win this I was going to have to go for its head. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Eevee had backed the girl up into a corner, and she had bite marks all over her legs. Neither one of them was really watching the other though, as both of them had decided to look at the moron who was trying to fight a Tyranitar hand to hand.

"_Alright, let's give everyone a show."_

I run directly at the Tyranitar as fast as I can. It looks surprised that its prey is coming right at it, but also pleased. It draws back one of its claws, ready to filet me. Just as I come within striking range, I jump over its claw, plant a foot in its face and launch myself into the air.

Now let me just mention to all the impressionable youths out there that this is not the brightest thing you can do with your life. Aerial attacks tend not to work in a real fight, as it is too hard to move after you leave the ground. Your opponent can just swat you out of the air as you come down. But the hell with it, I was desperate and I needed the extra momentum to beat this thing. As it was, only three things saved me. The first was that Tyranitar has stubby arms, so as I came down I was able to hit it before it hit me. The second was that as I flew I started off curled in a tight ball but ended up with my leg extended for a kick. As a spinning body extends its shape, the speed of the spin must increase to conserve momentum- its how figure skaters get going so fast. The third and final thing was that my boots were military surplus, and were therefore steel toed. The Tyranitar grinned, ready to tear me a new one when I fell. I tucked into my spin, extended my leg and-

Kicked it in the face. Hard.

"_Holy shit I think I shattered my femur."_

My leg aches like hell. That felt like I just kicked a freaking boulder, but there's no doubt that my kick was effective. The Tyranitar falls like the Tower of Babel, obviously unconscious. I turn from it to face the girl who's still backed into a corner. Trapped by a royally pissed off fox and the madman who just beat a lizard that outweighed him by three-hundred pounds, she takes the smart course of action.

"Umm... I forfeit?" She asks nervously.

"Yeah." I grunt. "Damn right you do."

I stump away as the ref announces my victory. There's an unpleasant numbness from my knee downwards, my head is ringing and my back feels battered but considering how that could have ended I guess I was lucky. I glance at Eevee as we exit the ring.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Eevee!"

"I'll live. Good work by the way- looks like she'll have some bite marks to remember us by."

The ringing in my ears and my vision get worse as I ascend the stairs to the observation deck to meet up with my friends. I guess that blow must have been harder than I had thought. I stumble on the last stair, but make it too the top where I see something that's scarier than the Tyranitar.

Sweet red-headed abuser of water type users Misty is angry. Oh boy is she angry.

Gary and Brock are each holding on to one of her arms, and even then she's still managing to make progress towards me.

"ASH KETCHUM YOU... YOU... ARGHHHH! I DO NOT EVEN POSESS WORDS FOR HOW STUPID THAT WAS! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-"

"Quick man!" Gary shouts at me. "Say something! Just get her to stop!"

Stop? I need to get her to calm down... I know! Misty's a girl, right? Girls like compliments right? Okay, maybe I wasn't thinking my best at that moment. But come on, I'd just been thrown into a wall by a four hundred pound mountain lizard. Cut me some slack.

"Misty?" I ask, a little hazily.

"WHAT? WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY TO MAKE YOURSELF SEEM LESS AGONIZINGLY, BRAIN DESTROYINGLY DENSE?"

"You have really beautiful eyes." I say before slumping over one of the seats. It isn't quite a fall, but my leg just won't support my weight any longer. I can feel a dull pounding in my head, and flashes of blue start to dance before my eyes.

"Ash? Ash!"

The other three rush to my side. They seem worried about my condition, but for some strange reason Misty's eyes feel like the most important thing in the universe right now. They feel so... familiar...

I grin at her. "You'd think they'd be blue because of the water... but no, they're green. The colour of life. You're so alive, Kasumi."

Gary and Brock have dropped Misty's arms and have grabbed me by mine. They pick me up and start to drag me, discussing concussions and possible brain damage. I try to tell them I'm fine, but they don't seem inclined to listen.

"Ash, if you're so fucked up that you'd admit you think Misty is pretty, then you aren't fine." Gary states bluntly. I try to think of a comeback, but give up. My brain feels like it's filled with cotton wool.

I don't actually pass out. My memories past that point are a little hazy, but I can recall going to the nurse. Brock hit on her, she shot him down like a wounded duck, and she checked out my head. Apparently I had a minor concussion but I was safe to sleep. After that I got dragged out of her office and I don't remember that much. The last thing I do recall is Gary putting me to bed and telling me to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>I wake up to the cry of birds and the smell of salt. Wait... salt?<p>

I open my eyes and immediately wish I hadn't. Sunlight stabs into me, and I wince. The ache in my head has receded somewhat and my leg is better but I still don't feel in top shape. I don't know where I am either... I should probably look around.

The room is fairly bare, and has the look of a hotel room. Bed, dresser, closet, not much else. But the crashing noise of waves and the fact that this room has a porthole instead of a window reveals that I was wrong in my first assessment.

"_It isn't a room at all. It's a cabin. I guess we're headed to Kindara after all."_

I sit up and stretch, my body stiff after yesterday's fight. The room is a single, and there's no sign of Gary, Brock or Misty. There is, however, a note on the dresser. I pick it up and immediately recognize Gary's slanted writing.

_Dear Ashy-boy:_

_Congratulations on winning the world's stupidest fight. The nurse says you'll be fine. We got tired of waiting for your catatonic ass to wake up, so we went to breakfast. Welcome to the S.S. Anne by the way- we're on a ship in case you hadn't figured that out. Giselle didn't pass her preliminary, so it's just the four of us. Come get brekkers when you're up._

_PS- Bring some aspirin. Misty says that when you wake up you and she are going to have a little talk :)_

I groan. No doubt Misty is going to harp on my decision to take on Tyranitar myself... and the comments I made after the fight. Well as fun as getting yelled at is, maybe I can put it off for a while. I have a call to make anyway.

Gary has put my bag at the end of my bed, and I fish through it until I find the cell phone Riley gave me. I set it to dial the one number in the thing, and then I wait. He answers on the fourth ring, but it isn't the answer I expected.

"Hi, you've reached Riley's house of balls! Poke, great, ultra- if it's balls, we've got 'em all!"

"You need serious help sensei."

"Ash? Kid is that you?"

"Yep. Riley's house of balls?"

"It's a cover. I don't want anyone who captures your phone finding out who I am."

"If Gary finds out that I have a 'House of Balls' on my speed-dial then you're gonna regret the fact I know who you are. I passed the preliminary by the way."

"Excellent! I knew you had it in you."

"Yeah... but it wasn't exactly smooth..."

I describe the fight to him. He stays silent for a while.

"A Tyranitar huh? You were right, someone must have given it to her."

"I know, and I was thinking... was that just a coincidence? Everyone else fights with Ponytas and Oddish and I fight a freaking Tyranitar?"

"Someone may suspect I sent you. I think they're trying to take you out of this tournament. Be careful."

"When am I not?"

"I don't know, how about always? You're worse than I was as a kid."

"Hmmph. Sensei, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

I almost don't tell him. Like Kaelus, I feel I should keep it private for some reason. But I have to know.

"Does the name Kasumi mean anything to you?"

He doesn't answer. I wait for a minute before I make sure he's still there.

"Sensei?"

"Where... where did you hear that name?"

"I dreamt it. I thought at first I'd made her up, but when I got hit in the head I called Misty Kasumi. Does it mean anything?"

"Ash... listen, this confirms something I've thought for a while. I can't give you all the details, but you must trust me."

"I guess..."

"Okay. Do not, I repeat do _not_ let Misty come to any harm."

"What? Of course not! Why the hell would I let someone hurt her?"

"You wouldn't, I know. But she might be in more trouble than I had thought. Don't let anyone know about Kasumi okay? If anyone asks, say you were delirious."

"Okay."

"Good. And I know this sounds weird Ash, but if you come across any other girls and think the name 'Haruka' or the name 'Hikari' you must protect them as well, got it?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it. They're important to you... or they will be soon. I need to do more research on this. Goodbye Ash."

"Wait-"

He hangs up. God damn it...

Haruka and Hikari... the names tickle something in the back of my brain, but as soon as I try to focus on the sensation it disappears. I decide to let it go, it'll come to me eventually.

I'm normally pretty grouchy in the mornings, but whatever the nurse gave me for pain last night packed a hell of a punch. The world behind my eyes still maintains the pleasant haziness of really good drugs as I walk to the galley to grab some food. My good mood lasts just as long as it takes me to sit down and remember why I was scared to come to breakfast in the first place.

"Hello Ash." Misty states calmly. That isn't a good sign by the way- she gets calm when she's saving up her rage for later.

"Heh heh... hey Mist... have a nice breakfast?"

"Ash, do you know what I'm going to do to you with that fork? It isn't going to be pleasant, but it should permanently remove your desire to fight stronger opponents." Misty smiles sweetly. Oh crap.

"Uh... hey Gary!"

"Don't push this on me man. You're lucky I managed to talk her out of doing it with a spoon."

"Alright, fine, sorry! What was I supposed to do, let the thing make Poke-confetti out of Eevee?"

"You could have-"

Just at that second the PA system goes off, telling all participants in the exam to move to the hold for an announcement. Misty gives me a glare that lets me know she isn't done with me yet, but walks off without a word. I take the opportunity to speak to Gary.

"A spoon? Seriously?" I whisper.

"She probably won't go that far, but you are so in for it later. Your wife is pissed."

I kick at his legs, but miss. He skips off making whipping noises and laughing. Bastard.

The hold is filled with the good, the bad and the ugly. Well, the ugly anyway. The trainers who have made it this far seem to be fairly diverse, ranging from big drunken bikers to hyper-active bug catchers. This is a tournament right? For students? The crowd looks like some kind of four H club gone horribly wrong.

I find Misty and Gary off in a corner and sit down with them. Gary tries to get us talking, but Misty just makes a 'tsk' noise and glares at me, then crosses her arms and looks away. For my part I'm too busy thinking about the Kasumi thing to appease her. Why had Riley thought the name was so important? Misty was Misty no matter what I called her. And who the hell were Haruka and H-

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention?"

I quit daydreaming and focus on the stage. Kasumi can wait until later, if this is important I should pay attention to the here and now. Up on stage a white haired man has taken to the podium.

"Thank you." He says as the room quiets down. He then clears his throat and begins to speak.

"So I herd u liek mudkipz?"

Utter silence.

"It's funny because, uh... well I thought it best to open with a joke..."

More silence.

"...bloody kids with your internet. Anyway, congratulations on passing your preliminaries and welcome to the Kindara tournament. This year we are sponsored by Devon Corporation. We'll handle your package and take care of your balls, so don't let anyone touch your goods but Devon!"

I think my mouth is hanging open. 'Riley's house of balls' has nothing on this guy.

"The first test in the tournament proper is about to begin. Although we're sure that you are all qualified to be here, we have to have some way to thin your numbers a little. The first test, therefore, is designed to examine your ability to survive in a hostile environment. As I'm sure you're aware, the Kindara archipelago is one of the most beautiful set of islands in the world... as well as one of the most deadly. Hazardous flora, high levelled wild pokemon and changing weather conditions are a fact of life there. We will determine which of you are truly able to thrive in dangerous environments. Any questions?

Misty raised her hand. "Sir, you haven't even stated the goal for this test. And we aren't even in the archipelago yet- when does this test begin?"

The man checks his watch. "In about... now."

"What do you mean-"

The world goes white and I feel the floor drop away.

* * *

><p>Have you ever been teleported? We all had to do it once as part of the curriculum back at the academy, and it felt exactly as I remember- awful. It's like being broken up into millions of pieces and then getting welded back together. I can see why psychic users have such a high psychosis rate.<p>

This teleporting was actually better than the last I had done, probably because I wasn't expecting it. One moment I was in the ship, the next thing I know I was being reconstituted miles away. At least, I think it was miles. It was dry land so it would have to be.

I sit around dazed, trying to take in my surroundings. It looks and sounds like a jungle, so I'll take the Occam route and assume it probably is.

"Well, uh..." I blink stupidly at the forest canopy. "What the fuck do I do now?"

That was when the backpack materialized above me and hit me in the head.

Once I was done screaming at the trees, I realized that the backpack had a note on it. Inscribed on the top of the letterhead was a frighteningly cheerful logo followed by a stylized 'D'. Devon Corporation stationary.

_Dear Participant:_

_Welcome to the Kindara tournament! You have been selected to tour one of Devon Corp's premiere real estate sites, the scenic 'Islands of Death'! To advance to the next round all you need do is arrive at the main island within Ten Days (before 1200 hrs Kanto Standard Time on the tenth day) and alert the personnel there as to your continued survival. All the lovely Devon Corp things you need to survive have been provided to you in this back-pack. Please note that Devon Corp is not liable for any maiming, death, immolation, poisoning, freezing, starvation, disembowelling, emotional trauma, existentialism or car salesmanship inflicted on the participants during this test._

_PS: If your pack contains the Devon Corp climbing rope, please discard it. Usage of said product has been linked to gonorrhoea._

I shake my head, discard the offending rope (without touching it), get myself set with the map and compass, and head out.

**So I hope you enjoyed Chapter Nine. Here I will admit a weakness- I want to have fun with this fic. I'm tired of fanfics that bend over backwards to avoid being labelled as cliché and suffer because of it. So yes, I admit that the Tyranitar thing is a little far-fetched (but it was young and weak- notice how it didn't use any moves?) but to all the naysayers I say fine. Label it as juvenile if you wish, but Ash is going to win a lot and he's going to get the girls- eventually. I realize that my desire to enjoy the story may not make me the best writer, but all I want is to have fun writing and for my readers to have fun reading. If you want to see a hero fail endlessly then go read a Timothy Findley novel.**

**I do have two problems though. One is that not only is Ash going to win a lot, he has to win all the time. I've locked him in to a single-loss elimination tournament. I like Ash and I want him to win... but I don't want him getting stagnant. Maybe I could have something like Kaelus kick the crap out of him? Something to ponder...**

**My second problem is my writing for female characters. I'm male, so I don't really know how to write for women. I worry that Misty is becoming one dimensional: "Ooh, she's a tomboy, now be a good girl and get in the harem". Any thoughts? If there are any female reviewers suggestions are welcome.**

**Please review, even if you hate it. I don't want to be perfect on my first fic, I want to learn what to do better for the next fic.**

**PS- That Devon Guy is my old headmaster. He'd open with the lame joke...pause...try to be serious...pause...**


	10. Chapter 10: Doughs and Don'ts

**Okay, chapter ten. I'm nearing the forty-thousand word mark too, which feels unreal. When I started I figured I'd give up after about a page.**

**This is my attempt to fix super-emo. If you like this better, please mention it. If you preferred my old style, feel free to say that too. If you don't notice a difference, then feel free to leave reviews with suggestions.**

**How do you guys think I should do May? For her intro I've rolled out her usual big-breasted, food obsessed self, but I'm hoping to make her deeper later. She's going to be the normal girl in Ash's life- she doesn't have the self-esteem issues that Misty and Dawn are going to have. She's beautiful, she loves life and she'll be open about her feelings towards Ash once they develop.**

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><p><strong>10-Doughs and Don'ts<strong>

"_**From a scientific point of view it isn't that hard to understand. They're just sacs of adipose cells interspersed throughout mammary tissue. Prolactin stimulates the storage of milk in alveolar cells, and then oxytocin triggers release through the ducts. Breasts are just evolutions way of making sure our kids get fed. So why do... hey! My face is up here, buddy!"**_

_**-May Maple**_

Have you ever wondered what kind of stories your pets could tell if they could talk? Don't. Cute and fluffy things only stay that way if you don't know what they actually think of you.

(_And remember the class photo in grade 6?)_

"Shut up Pikachu."

_(Remember when you bit the camera guy?)_

I give up trying to shut him up. Pikachu has never really liked his ball, so I decided to let him out earlier. I used to enjoy the quiet noises he would make when we were together. Then I started understanding them.

_(And that time Gary drew on you when you were asleep? Man, you couldn't get those whiskers off for days.)_

_You know my host, the amusing rat would make an excellent backup ration._

I ignore both Kaelus and Pikachu and have another look at the map. Devon Corp had supplied me considerably well despite that letter, and the map was good enough to navigate by. Of course, navigating would sort of require that I know which island I was on, which I didn't. Step one had been to find some food and some water. Step two, which I was carrying out now, was to either find a land mark or get the general shape of the coast so I could tell which island I was on.

The jungle wasn't actually that bad. The heat was sweltering and the air was still and humid, but I hadn't seen a major predator since I got here. I had left my long sword with my luggage at the ship (I hadn't anticipated that I'd need a weapon to eat breakfast) but I still have one of the parangs Riley gave me, and it makes quick work of the underbrush. Pikachu follows in the wake of my passage, still poking fun at the most embarrassing moments of my life he can remember. Kaelus offers me a recipe for _Rat a la mode_, which I decline.

"Well what about you? Need I remind you of that time you got stuck in the ketchup bottle?"

_(Hey, I love to eat ketchup.)_

"Yeah, but it wasn't your mouth that got stuck."

_(So I got lonely, sue me. You should try- wait what's that?)_

"What's what?"

_(That humming noise.)_

I can hear it too now. It's coming from the south of us (if a compass made by the same guys who came up with the gonorrhoea rope can be trusted) and it isn't so much a humming as it is a buzzing. An angry buzzing, one that's getting louder.

"Pikachu, maybe we should-"

I never get the chance to finish my sentence, because at that point someone rushes out of the bushes and cannons right into me. We both lay on the ground groaning, and I can hear someone else approach.

"May, what are you doing? Don't stop, they're almost here!"

"Sorry, I ran into someone! Who are you anyway?"

"Mpph-mmph!"

"Oh, sorry."

She gets off of me, removing her chest from my face. I take a deep breath. I nearly asphyxiated but hey, what a way to go.

"My name is May and this is Zoey. Um, we should probably run right now."

"Why?"

Suddenly some Beedrill pop out of the treeline. Quite a lot of Beedrill actually. Running suddenly sounds like a great idea.

"Them!" May shouts as we run.

"What pissed them off so badly?" I yell.

"May bothered their nest!" Zoey yells back at me. "She said she wanted some honey!"

"What? They're part of the wasp family! They don't make honey!"

"Then why do they have 'bee' in their name?" May wails, nearly tripping over a tree root.

Even running for our lives Zoey and I manage to share a look. We roll our eyes simultaneously.

Well at least they weren't Ariados. Ariados poison is only a mild paralytic, because the spiders like their prey fresh- they eat it alive. Beedrill poison was fatal, but at least it was quick. They injected a fast-acting vasodilator that would cause you to pass out before you stopped breathing. Beedrill were used to smaller prey than humans, so a single sting wouldn't do much. But being stung by an entire swarm- like, say, the swarm that was following us- would result in death.

We run. Not the usual gym class pseudo-run, but the actual 'I'm about to crap my pants from fear' run. It's amazing what you can do in the face of stingy yellow death, but we're going to wear out faster than they do. The terrain is rough going, and flight is easier than moving on the ground. The only reason they haven't swooped down on us yet is that the tree cover is too thick. If we hit thicker terrain, then we'll have to slow down and they'll get us. If we hit thinner terrain, they'll wear us out and then get us. I was desperately trying to think of a solution when gravity decided to solve the problem for me.

We hit the cliff.

Cliff isn't really the right term. It was only about a twenty foot drop, so I suppose that crag or spur is better. In deference to the unbreakable laws of humour, my legs continued to run on this air for about a second before I fell.

Twenty feet is not that dangerous if you don't land on your head. You can break a bone, but you'll walk away. So although it hurt, I thought I was fine... until two-hundred pounds of female landed on my back. At least the Beedrill missed us- in their fury they continued right on by.

"Whew." Sighs Zoey. "Close one. You okay May?"

"Yeah, I landed on something soft."

"Really? So did I."

"Umm..."

They look down.

"Oh! Our bad." They get off of me.

"S'alright." I mutter and roll over. The three of us are tired but exultant- I guess it's the last of the adrenalin running through our systems. The girls introduce themselves as Zoey of Snowpoint City and May Maple of Petalburg.

"What were you two doing anyway?"

"The same as you I guess. Surviving. After we got teleported off that ship- that was teleportation right?"

"That or a new Devon invention. Do you feel like you have an STD?"

"No."

"Probably teleportation then."

"Anyway, after that happened I found myself wandering out here. I met up with May on the other side of the island, and we decided that two was better than one, so we teamed up."

"And then got a honey craving?"

"Hey!" May pouts. Zoey laughs.

"Don't let her fool you. She's curious and naive, but smarter than you'd think. Well, until she gets hungry anyway."

We both laugh this time, and May pouts. I didn't get a good look at either one of them while we were running, but now that I have the time they're worth the look. Zoey is a tall slender girl with hair reminiscent of Misty. She has it cut in a different style, but it's clear that both of them have tailored their look so as not to be underestimated by the opposite sex.

May is different. She wears a long blouse-dress thing that comes down to her upper thigh. Underneath that, she wears a pair of the tightest shorts I have ever seen. A light green bandana adorns her forehead, framed by long brown bangs on either side. She's shorter but curvier than Zoey, and has a-

How did I miss that? Sweet Papa Smurf of Verdanturf she is stacked. If all the girls in Petalburg are like her then they'd better start checking their water.

As interesting as May's... infrastructure undoubtedly is, I realize that she's speaking now and that I'd better listen. If she can keep up with me and Zoey running despite the height difference, then she isn't a weakling and I'd rather not get slapped for staring.

"So Ash, why not come with us? Three people are better than two."

"Eh? But... you're girls. Of the female persuasion."

"So?" she smiles sweetly.

"So I'm a guy. Who you don't know. In the middle of Devon Corps islands of death. Why do you want me to come with you? I mean it isn't like I can hold your purse or something."

"Hey! That's sexist."

I glare.

"Okay, okay." She mumbles. "I thought maybe you had food. Happy?"

I smile. "Yep. Girls I don't get, but food I love. Should we eat now or march until dark?"

In the end we march. May argued strongly in favour of the food, but Zoey and I were worried more about the Beedrill and the time limit than our stomachs. In the end I gave her some berries I had found to eat as we hiked. May was disappointed that she didn't get her way with the food, but soon she starts humming. Eventually humming turns into singing and skipping. It seems like it's impossible to keep this girl down for any length of time. Not that I'm complaining. She had a beautiful voice and she...um... bounced interestingly as she skipped. I got a song and a show.

"Come on Ash, join me for the next round!"

"Uh, I don't really sing."

Which wasn't entirely true. When Gary and I were thirteen he had stolen a bottle of vodka from his dad. We'd spent that day getting wasted in the old quarry and belting out as many dirty songs as we remembered. I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since then though, remembering the mind splitting headache the day after. Besides, I don't think May is talking about screaming out the words to "Jinx the magic tranny" in a thirteen-year old falsetto.

"You have to sing something!"

"But the only songs I know are-"

"Sing now!" I may not be an expert on girls, but I know when to give up. I clear my throat and try to remember the words Gary had told me.

"_There was a young trainer, he went far and wide_

_With a glint in his eye and his team by his side_

_He grew from a young boy into a man_

_But there were two kinds of things he did not understand_

_Pidgeys and Beedrills, birdies and bees_

_Why are the girls all so eager to please?_

_I tell them they're nice, I tell them they're cute_

_And they tell me to watch where I stick my poke-flute._

_He travelled in forests, on mountains and seas_

_The girls that he met were so willing to tease_

_But when he asked if they'd give it their all_

_They took his apricorns and they gave him blue balls._

_Pidgeys and Beedrills, birdies and bees_

_Why do these girls simply do as they please?_

_I ask them kindly what they want done_

_They giggle and then point at my Lickitung._

_He went to the-"_

I get no further into the song. May and Zoey have fallen over giggling and blushing. I mentally curse Gary.

"Well I tried to warn you! You told me to sing!"

"Oh my god!" Zoey chokes out. "Where did you _learn _that?"

"Gary heard a couple of the soldiers singing it, and be glad I didn't finish it. The last verse uses words I don't even know the meaning of yet."

That sets them off again. After they recover from the laughing fit, they try to get me to finish it. But I don't budge- I'm not completely sure what those words mean, but I know I don't want to repeat them here.

"Aww, cutie!" May coos. "Zoey, he's blushing."

I maintain a dignified silence (dignified, not cowardly dammit!) and move ahead so that they have to catch up to me. As embarrassing as the song was, at least it seems to have broken the ice. We converse about... well, teenage shit I guess. I don't recognise any of the singers or movies they talk about, but they don't know how to field dress a bullet wound, so I guess we come out even. Eventually the sun gets too low in the sky for us to reliably move through the jungle, so we decide to make camp. May and I set up the tents while Zoey fetches wood for a fire- they don't do much camping in Snowpoint but they know how to stay warm. It's still hot though, so the fire is really more for cooking and comfort purposes.

It's as we sit around the campfire after eating that May asks the question I've been dreading.

"So Ash, tell us about yourself."

"Why?"

"Because we're travelling together silly, and me and Zoey told you all about ourselves. We need to get acquainted!"

"May, I nearly suffocated on your cleavage. I think we're about as acquainted as it gets."

Zoey laughs. May flushes and throws me a dirty look, but it soon softens. If there's one thing I've learned about this girl, it's that she never stays angry or sad for long. She's an interesting contrast to Misty...

Ah hell. I spent the whole day with my own problems, and didn't think about Misty or Gary at all. But... they'll be okay, right? They're strong.

"Ash?"

Besides, nothing I can do right now will help them. I'd better-

"Ash!"

Apparently May has been talking to me.

"You weren't listening were you?"

I throw her a semi-apologetic grin. "Sorry. Thinking about my friends."

She smiles. "They'll be fine. Come on, buck up Ash! 'For everything there is a season, a time to weep and a time to laugh'."

"Sorry May. I don't believe in fortune cookies."

"That was scripture."

"Oh...uh, sorry."

"It's okay! I like to teach the ignorant, not shun them."

Speaking as a guy who would like to remain ignorant, I decide to do the shunning myself by changing the subject.

"Does either one of you have a plan yet? When I ran into you guys I was busy trying to figure out which island this was so that I could figure out what to do next."

"Well," Zoey begins "there was some higher elevation terrain near where I started out, so I guess I got a better look at the shape of the place than you. I'm not sure, but I think we're on this island here.

I look at her copy of the map and swear softly. "Damn. We're going to need to make at least one raft trip- see here? We can island-hop for a while by swimming, but the water between us and the main island is too deep to risk it. We may actually need two or three raft trips depending on how we do this. Think we should stay close to land and be slow, or risk the open ocean?"

"I'd rather not go for the ocean thanks. If we run out of provisions or get lost..."

"Yeah, I hear you. Any raft building experience?"

"No. I can't even swim. The water at Snowpoint is too cold."

"Hmmm. May, can you swim?"

"A little, yeah. But only in pools and stuff. Daddy took us out sailing sometimes though. Can you swim?"

"Yeah." I say, remembering Misty's painful, painful lessons. "Oh yeah. I might collapse due to PTSD but I won't drown."

They give me an odd look, but I don't care. They never had to swim hundreds of meters in a freezing cold lake while Misty shouted "Encouragement" at them.

"Well at least you have some sailing experience. Zoey... I dunno. Maybe we can tie you to the raft with something. Pull you in if you fall."

"Well that's reassuring." She mutters sarcastically. "What makes you think we can even build a raft?"

"It isn't that hard, not if we only need it for a short crossing. Lash some buoyant vegetation to some driftwood and it'll be good enough if you only need it for a few hours."

"Are you sure something like that will float?" May asks dubiously.

"Well if it doesn't we can lash you to the underside and float along on your bubbly personality. Now get some sleep. We'll need it."

I get in my tent and try to ignore the giggling next door. May and Zoey have elected to share a tent for tonight (when I had asked why they looked at me strangely and muttered about idiot men) and the gossip is getting a little loud. Are all fifteen year old girls like this? Misty isn't. At least, not around me. But these girls aren't like Misty or I are they? They come from Hoenn and Sinnoh, peaceful nations. Peaceful for now at any rate.

I shelve the question for now, and decide to take my own advice by getting some sleep.

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><p>"<em>Boo!" She yells as I walk past the tree. I knew she was there of course- she was breathing too loudly for me not to notice- but I ruin her fun all too often. I wanted to let her have her joke this time.<em>

_But then she tries to jump on me and all rules go out the window._

_I grab her in mid air, tackle her to the ground and tickle her. She was always ticklish, and I'd exploited that fact to great use in the past. Not to mention that it usually put her in a good mood, as much as she'd deny that._

"_Okay, stop!" She giggles. Her light brown hair falls into her face as she smiles at me. She's grown it longer than when we were kids, but her eyes are the same playful light blue that I remember._

"_I was just trying to surprise you. You'd think I had tried to bludgeon you to death."_

"_No, you tend to leave that to Kasumi."_

_She laughs, light hearted and happy._

"_I was enjoying my walk, Haruka. Did you think I'd just" I kiss her "forgive you like that?"_

"_Oh no?" She loosens her top slightly. "Then how can I make it up to you?"_

_I grin, and start to trace my hands down her lithe form. She responds and presses up into-_

_No. She burns. We all burn, they're here THEY'RE HERE-_

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><p>Morning. It's morning and I'm back in my tent. Not burning. Yeah, I'm completely flame free. I breathe a sigh of relief and try to calm down.<p>

"Man, wierd dreams."

"Mmmm, cookie dough."

"No actually, it was about this girl named- wait what?"

Something warm is pressed into my side. I shift slightly to get a good look and... Oh crap. May is curled around my arm. She's obviously still asleep and is trying to eat my hair. She keeps muttering something about seconds.

First Misty and now May. You'd think that waking up next to girls would involve more sex and less bloody beatings if discovered. Is May the kind of girl who would understand, or am I in for pain if she wakes up? Luckily I'm spared the horrors of baldness, because at that point I hear Zoey up and moving.

"Zoey!" I hiss "Is that you?"

"Yeah... Ash where is May? I can't find her."

"She's in here. I think she's sleep eating. Um, a little help?"

Zoey unzips my tent, sees May noshing on my head, and starts to giggle.

"Shh! Don't wake her up, I don't want to get hit for something I didn't do."

"Why would she hit you? She's obviously at fault."

"You have no idea how scary the girls in Pallet are. Now get her off me or go find me some Rogaine."

Zoey giggles again, but gently rolls May off of me. We both grab an end (May's sleepwear is fairly, um, inadequate so Zoey makes sure I take the front end) and we dump May back in her own tent. She rolls over, mutters something about dumplings, and continues to snore. As we exit the tent Zoey grins at me.

"So Ash..."

"Do. Not. Start. Go get firewood and I'll find us some more water."

The grin doesn't go away, but she leaves to get the wood. I chose the tasks carefully this morning, making sure not to leave myself open to jokes about 'having morning wood' later. Zoey and I return and begin to set up breakfast. We don't wait so that May can help, because there's an unspoken understanding that she'd eat more then she'd produce.

May rolls out of bed once the scent of food reaches her. Zoey starts smirking and I give her a warning glare.

"Man that smells great!" Exclaims May, stretching. "Where's my share?"

"But you've already eaten May!" Zoey says deviously.

"I did?"

"Yeah, you had some delicious cookie dough."

"How did you know I dreamt about that?"

Zoey bursts out laughing and I hide my face in my hands. Misty was one thing but I barely know this girl. After May has the truth explained to her she's horrified- she explains about a dozen times that she sleepwalks. I brush off her apologies and try to move on with the day. We have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to get off this island.

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><p>"Are you certain this thing will float?"<p>

"Um, probably? It will float better than you do anyway."

We'd hit the coast at mid-morning, and had spent a few hours putting together a makeshift raft. I did know how (survival training is drilled into everyone at the Academy at a young age) but I had to admit that the results were not pretty. I had used two big logs as cross spars and then I'd basically just tied crap to them. Driftwood, palm leaves, anything that floated. It looked like crap, but if Zoey couldn't swim than this was the best way to get between islands. Besides, it would hold... assuming the weather held. Right now it was calm and peaceful with a brisk tail wind- a sailor's dream. But the Kindara peninsula was known to be treacherous. We'd just have to make sail and hope for the best.

May and Zoey were dubious, and to be honest I don't blame them. But we haven't got much of a choice, not with the time limit in effect.

The girls help me push the raft into the water, and despite a heavy draft, it does in fact float.

"See? We have achieved buoyancy. Only one problem though."

"What?"

"She isn't very streamlined. She's got a large profile and some crappy boundary layer flow. Paddling her is going to take forever."

"Well, there are... alternate means of locomotion." Zoey says sneakily. Both girls grin and look directly at me.

"Oh hell no."

**Was the song a little over the top? It's the sort of thing we used to snicker about in cadets. And I suppose I should mention that underage drinking is bad and illegal and immoral and all that, but Gary seems like exactly the type to try it. And Ash, despite himself, has a soft spot for Gary (completely platonic, I hasten to add- sorry Palletshippers).**

**Do Beedrills make honey? I don't actually know... and I seem to have caught a cold (in June, of all bloody times) so don't expect new material for a while.  
><strong>

**PS Did you know songfics aren't supposed to be allowed on this site? Well, according to Wikipedia anyway. Nobody cares if I write the song myself and its part of the story though, right?**


	11. Chapter 11: The Enemy Within

**So I'm currently in what I like to call my "Drunken Idiot" phase of story development. This fic represents my first staggering steps down the path of authorship. For the first nine chapters I was vomiting into the gutter of heavy handed emotionality, then for chapter ten I extricated myself only to walk into the lamp-post of flat characterization. Hopefully chapters eleven and twelve will be more balanced.**

**I'm sorry that I can't reply to all of my reviewers, but three of you left such detailed reviews that I can't ignore them. Be assured that I do read every review, good or bad, long or short.**

**Nauran: Thanks for sticking with the story, and I hope to see your new story up soon (I liked Henkou by the way). Yeah, Ash is the easiest character to write for when I'm in the right mood, but it's also easy to lose the edge that makes him entertaining instead of whiny. I'm also doing my best to manage the harem (more May in this chapter) but I think it'll be easier when Dawn enters- right now May reads like a less interesting version of Misty, but when Dawn comes in I can have May balance the two of them instead of conflicting with either one of them.**

**ZariGS: I see your point. I'm still trying to find my niche, so it might appear that Ash is having mood swings for a while (although part of his emotional instability is Kaelus messing with him, as you'll see here and in chapter 12). He's a hard character to balance... I'm wondering if I did the right thing by making this a first-person fic. It allows it to be more human, but it also means I have to consistently portray the world from a viewpoint that isn't mine. Hopefully I'll keep the tale entertaining enough that you and everyone else will keep reading.**

**Cyberbeta: Please see the top author's note to chapter twelve. You left a detailed review and I want enough room to address it properly.**

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><p><strong>11-The Enemy Within<strong>

"_**Most of you wearisomely fleshy creatures misunderstand the nature of shadows. We are seen as mere reflections, something less than that which produces us. But we are more than an absence of light... we have power. We have drive. And most importantly, we have long, long memories. We remember what we were, and we strive for the day where we can be again."**_

_**-Kaelus**_

Gary had told me in the past that girls showing lots of skin was one of the world's purest treasures. I wasn't sure I agreed with that, but I could see his point. When a pretty girl walks past it doesn't matter what you want your reaction to be- the blood migrates south for the winter and you stare like an idiot. So the sight of two pretty girls sunbathing should have shut down the bitchy circuits of my brain and activated my libido lobe.

And if I hadn't been trying to pull said beauties through shark infested waters, maybe it would have.

"Come on Ash!" Zoey shouts. "Be happy! A chauffer should wear a smile."

My only response is to spit some salt water over my shoulders and keep paddling. The team dynamic be damned, when we hit shore these girls were getting an Ash tantrum of epic proportions.

It had made sense at the time; that was the hell of it. Zoey had pointed out, quite rationally, that she couldn't swim, May wasn't that great at it and paddling to the next island would take forever. None of us had a water pokemon strong enough to pull the raft, and that left but one option. I had informed Zoey exactly where she could shove her option, but May had this way of putting her hands behind her head and leaning forward that made saying no kind of difficult.

Fucking hormones. I'd never thought I'd look forward to the Misty spoon option, but at least if she'd had her way I would currently be May-proof.

We were roughly half way between islands at this point, and our destination loomed before us. Not that I had the greatest view. We had managed to find a kind of creeper on the last island that served as a passable rope, and had then looped it over my shoulders and around my waist. As Zoey had pointed out, me pulling the raft was the only viable way to make the crossing. The currents were wrong to just try and drift, and paddling what was essentially a ball of stuff was never going to work. So yes, being tied to a raft was a necessity.

Or at least, that was how I had seen it hours ago. Swimming is hard work, and knowing that beautiful girls are behind you and not in front was not the best motivator in the world. Ughhh... the first thing I was going to do when I passed this test was have a good, old-fashioned Ash-Misty brawl. I wasn't used to girls like this.

Chauffer my ass. I was taking a break. I quit the swimming, and join them on the raft. There isn't a lot of room when there are three of us, but it suffices.

"Taking a break?" Asks Zoey.

"Funny." Smiles May. "I thought you'd last longer."

"Har har. Why am I the one pulling anyway? May's the one with the 'floatation devices'."

May scowls at me, and I just grin back. Maybe she is more like Misty than I had thought- it's just that the levers are different. But May's anger is nowhere near the incandescent purity of Misty's, and her curiosity gets the better of her quickly.

"Hey, where did you get all those scars on your back?"

"I suffer from Trituraphilia. Sexual attraction to wheat threshers."

"No, don't be an asshole. Seriously, where?"

"Where do you think? Running away from shit."

"Well that isn't very brave. Aren't all Kanto men supposed to be soldiers?"

"Knowing when to run away is important for a soldier May. We leave heroics to those stupid enough to think they work."

_(You mean like being stupid enough to fight a Tyranitar with your fists?)_ Pikachu muttered. He's currently sitting on May's lap getting his ears scratched.

"_Shut it. You may not be a water-type, but I can still use you as fishing bait."_

He chuckles, knowing I'll never follow through on the threat.

"Well I think you should be brave. You could be like a knight in the old days!"

I sigh. "May, I already told you the food is in my pack. You don't have to compliment me for it."

She folds her arms over and gives me a reproachful look. "That isn't what this is about. Do you have to be so cynical? When I was a kid, I always wanted to be like a princess in a fairy tale... don't tell me you never dreamed of being a hero? You know what the old heroes were like?"

I had dreamed of it actually, not that I'll admit it to her. I guess everyone dreams of being a hero at one point, but Professor Oak's stories about the last regional war had been enough to show me what happened to heroes.

"They're dead. Just like I'll be if I develop some bizarre fascination with emulating them. Besides, I don't have the legs for tights."

"Oh come on! Didn't you ever want to save a princess, slay the dragon and save the day?"

I pause before bursting out laughing. May looks hurt, but I wave her off.

"No, I'm not laughing at you." What I don't want to admit to her is that between May and Misty, I have a princess and a dragon ready to go.

I turn around and slip back into the water grinning. May just shrugs and goes back to sunbathing.

* * *

><p>Something would have to be done. It was all happening too fast.<p>

Kaelus had not waited this long to be stopped now. He was millions of years old, despite the fact that he had only been millions of years old for fifteen years now. He had been born with Ash, had watched him grow up with glee, and in a large part had shaped his development. Every fresh torture the boy underwent brought him closer to his goal, every lonely moment or period of rage fuelled the hatred that Kaelus needed so badly. He hadn't been able to speak to the boy until recently- Ash was simply not developed enough to hear him- but he had always been there, pushing the boy down the most destructive path he could find, waiting for the day when Ash's hate would overtake him and the two could be one again.

He had not predicted Gary. Friends were not something he wanted Ash to have. Accomplices yes- people to be used and then tossed away at their whim- but friends were dangerous. Ash valued Gary's life above his own, and Kaelus couldn't be having with that. He needed Ash.

For the most part though, the threat Gary posed was minimal. Ash's friend could take care of himself, and seemed to have grown complacent with the darker aspects of Ash's character. He had proved the weakness of friendship by accepting Ash for what he was instead of trying to change him. Kasumi was the same way.

_Kasumi._

Without a body of his own Kaelus couldn't spit, but if he were capable of the act he would have done it. He hated all three of the girls with a passion... but he needed them too. He needed the power they could bring out in Ash. Or so he had thought.

But Haruka was too dangerous. The boy was in love with Kasumi whether he would admit it or not, and his connection with Haruka was growing rapidly. Kaelus could already sense the confusion in the Zoey girl as to why they would become so close so fast. It was because they weren't forging a new relationship, they were reviving an old one. One Kaelus had thought he could use.

But he'd been wrong.

Kasumi had been easy to come to grips to. She wanted the best for Ash, but her stubborn nature had prevented her from admitting it. Hikari wouldn't be a problem- Kaelus could already feel shadows of her presence in the aura, and she was as twisted as the boy was in her own way. So it was natural that Kaelus had been ecstatic when Ash had come across Haruka so quickly- he had thought he could use her like he'd used Kasumi. But in his excitement he had forgotten that Haruka's nature made her dangerous.

Ash was happy.

Alright, things weren't that bad yet. Kaelus had spent his host's entire life ensuring that the boy didn't trust easily, and not even Haruka had been able to penetrate Ash's armour that fast. But the fact remained that Haruka was pulling Ash out of his shell without knowing how or why she was doing it. Kaelus needed Ash's hatred and fear; he could not lose it now.

It was a shame. He'd wanted Haruka's power, but if he lost the boy he lost everything.

Haruka would have to die. And Ash would have to be the one to do it.

_Wait for me my host. We will be sick. We will be wrong... we will be beautiful once again._

_Wait for me._

* * *

><p>Shore fall came as a relief. I was exhausted, soaked, and needed to change- my pants now had a Sharpedo shaped bite in them. Pikachu had shocked the thing when it tried to come after me again, but had apparently forgotten that salt water conducts.<p>

_(I said I was sorry!)_

Yes he had. And when I could feel my lips again, I might even forgive him.

The island we arrived on was not nearly as nice as the one we had left. The last few minutes before we hit land had been dicey, as swirling undercurrents (May had insisted I call them eddies even as I was trying not to die in them) had tried to dash us against the rocks. The currents had forced us to one side of the island which was bisected by a small mountain range. We'd have to either climb over or go around- assuming we even could. The map that Devon gave us showed elevation, but no data on foot paths.

I head behind the bushes and put on some pants provided by Devon corp (and didn't that take some bravery) then return to the beach. May and Zoey are busy complimenting each other on their new tans. I clear my throat, getting ready to bitch them out.

"Yes?" May asks sweetly. Dammit this is tough- the girl switches between cunning manipulator and innocent puppy so fast that I forget that she's one when she's being the other.

But hey, I'm Ash Ketchum. I can out-maudlin vampires. Time to show May just how immune to the old 'tits in the face' trick I can be when I'm cranky.

I roll up the Devon map, take aim, and then hit her in the head with it. Not hard- I doubt I could seriously hurt her with a piece of paper anyway- but hard enough to let her know I'm pissed. I lift one finger and waggle it at them.

"Bad May! Bad Zoey!" I shout. "Ash is not a chauffeur!"

"And we aren't dogs!"

"No, dogs can swim. I'd say you're more like squirrels."

May folds her arms over and pouts, and Zoey sticks out her tongue. I laugh at their expressions. Pretty soon they're laughing with me. We may be stranded on a bunch of islands, but I feel like I've laughed more in the past day than I have in the past year. They're fun girls.

"Alright, I'm sorry about the chauffeur thing. Thanks for the ride, Ash."

"Yeah, thanks!"

"It's okay. I guess it was pretty funny... but if you bring it up again then you're piggy-backing me over those cliffs. Speaking of which, do we have a plan?"

Zoey looks smug. "I may not be able to swim, but climbing I can do. There're a lot of mountains near Snowpoint."

"So? What's the plan?"

"I'll have to see what we're climbing before I know. We should gather more creepers though- and dry them if we have time. We're going to need as much rope as we can get."

In the end we decide to spend the night on the beach preparing for tomorrow. I'm too tired to do much today anyway, and the girls agree that trying to forge through the jungle and do some climbing in the darkness would be a stupid idea. Those are good reasons to wait... but they aren't the only reasons. I think that none of us really want to enter into the interior of this island in the first place. The last island had dangers, but at least the environment had been welcoming. It had been sunny and the jungle had been a beautiful panorama by which to hike. This place is different. The beach ends abruptly and transitions into dark, dense vegetation. The jungle here isn't so much welcoming us as it is lunging for us- a verdant green monster that dares us just to try and cross it. And it smells too, an acrid odour that hangs in the back of the mouth like poison. The beach, with its pale white sand and wave scoured rocks, is infinitely more inviting.

We take some creepers from the edge of the tree line and Zoey directs us in the proper method to stretch and dry them for rope. Once we have enough, she slices them into individual fibres and begins to weave the strands together for increased strength. I try to help, but after a few fumble fingered attempts I give up and leave the girls to it. That's a shame, because without the menial task to distract me my eyes and mind wander back to the jungle and the mountains beyond. I walk a distance away from the girls to get a better look at what we're facing.

_Is something the matter my host?_

"_Not... exactly. Do those mountains look right to you?"_

_They are merely juts of rock, my host. They don't distinguish between right and wrong. You could profit from such an example._

"_No, I mean do they look normal?"_

_You mean normal for a set of perilous terrain features arrayed against you in the struggle for survival? They look about as normal as everything else we've nearly died on._

I guess he has a point. But I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right.

"_Do you see the one to the east a bit? With the slanted summit?"_

_Yes._

"_Is it... I don't know, darker than the others somehow?"_

_..._

"_Kaelus?"_

_No. You're imagining things._

"_But-"_

_Human minds are fallible. If it is darker than the surrounding peaks, it must be due to some odd weather condition. Don't waste time on useless things._

Kaelus' voice has a definite edge to it now. Is he nervous? Homicidal rage I can deal with, but hearing my own pet sociopath get scared was chilling.

"_Kaelus, what are you-"_

"Ash?" comes a voice from behind me.

I whip around, catching Zoey off guard. She had been standing right behind me, trying to attract my attention. She staggers back a step and nearly falls, but I manage to grab her arm.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" She inquires as I help her back to her feet.

"Sorry. Got caught up thinking about tomorrow. What did you want?"

"We got dinner ready while you were blanked out. And trust me, you don't want to make May wait."

"Thanks for telling me. We'd better get back before she eats Pikachu."

The two of us walk towards camp, and dinner already occupies the majority of my mind. But I cast another glance over my shoulder at the mountain that caught my interest. It sits there, as solid as any other peak but stubbornly darker than it should have been.

Kaelus is silent. Shrugging my shoulders, I followed Zoey back to our camp.

* * *

><p><em>It can't be him. Even he must have died by now. It's been millennia.<em>

But it was him, it must be. The boy might not be the brightest creature on the planet, but he was perceptive. It was a trait that most prey shared, humans included. That mountain had been more heavily shadowed than it had any right to be at that hour, and Kaelus knew all too well what that meant.

Or more pertinently, who that meant.

_Is this such a bad thing though? He hasn't been spotted in centuries. He'll stick to his bloody mountain. He'll be nothing but dirt in another few decades anyway._

So be it. Kaelus would pass over his realm without incident, leaving time to do its fatal work upon that which slept under the mountain. Let him feed on Haruka's bones if he wanted, Ash was getting away from this island as fast as Kaelus could convince him to move. If the mountain's master was dead, then there was no reason to fear.

_And if Baal yet lives... then there are always other options._

* * *

><p>Dinner was a simple affair. Our Devon Corp provisions were sufficient but limited, so we had been supplementing them along the way with any berries or vegetation that at least two of the three of us could identify as non-poisonous. None of us has a large pokemon either, and food hadn't been a problem so far. Still, it was better to err on the side of caution, so tonight we had stuck with a simple meal of a few roasted Oran berries each and some salted jerky from our packs. Conversation is sparse and subdued. The three of us make a few stabs at trying to lighten the mood, but every so often our speech would falter and we'd find ourselves staring at that damned jungle again. The girls look weary and worried about the trials to come, but from the looks on their faces they don't feel the same way about them as I do. The bad vibes that had receded during dinner return full force. Sunset should have made me feel better- the darkness obliterated the individual features of the jungle and made all the mountains look equally obscured. But instead of covering over this place's malignancy, all the shadows had done was give it a sense of hideous unity. At night, the entire island looked like on enormous blob, ready to swallow those who ventured upon its surface.<p>

Ah, screw it. I was just jumping at nothing now. This place was made up of the same stuff as anywhere else, trees and rocks. If it seemed evil it was because I was projecting my own misgivings onto it like particularly morbid wallpaper.

Zoey retires, claiming that she'll need all her focus for tomorrow. Despite my earlier exertions, I don't actually have any desire to sleep. I feel restless somehow, like I just want to get moving. But I guess I'll need my strength for tomorrow, so I should also get some-

I can feel something staring at me. My gaze snaps up, but I relax when I realize it's just May. She sits across the fire from me, and seems to be searching for something in my face. Her stare is uncomfortable to say the least. It isn't Misty's glare, it isn't Gary's smirk, and it isn't the mildly disgusted or half fearful looks of everyone else I have to deal with. She's just... looking. Observing.

"What?" I ask, a little defensively. If she hears the brusqueness in my tone she shows no sign of it. She merely shifts her gaze to my eyes. My discomfort ratchets up a few notches. For a second I have the weirdest urge to shut my eyes to try and protect her from whatever she was seeing. Which was ridiculous.

"What is it?" I snap, more defensively this time. It breaks May out of her reverie, but she merely shrugs.

"You never answered me."

"What?"

"Last night? I asked you to tell me about yourself. You never did."

I shake my head dismissively. "I'm Ash from Kanto. I have a yellow rat and an attitude problem. End of story."

She leans in, unwilling to let it go. "Oh, come on! There's got to be more to it than that. You mentioned that you had some really good friends. What are they like?"

"Misty and Gary? Decent enough."

"That's all? 'Decent enough'?"

"What do you want, a goddamned poem? They stuck by me through a lot of shit, okay?"

"Such as?"

"Such as life! Arceus, just let it go."

"No!"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because!" she yells "Zoey and I are your friends too, and we have a right to know more about you! There are more people in this world than Misty and Gary."

Well, that does it for me. The old anger is back in full force, and no amount of innocent smiles or puppy-dog eyes is going to calm me down now. I start yelling too.

"Listen Maple, you don't know what the hell you're talking about, you have no right to hear anything and YOU ARE NOT MY FUCKING FRIEND!"

"Ash-"

"Do you have any idea what Misty and Gary have done for me? No, you haven't got a clue and you open your idiot mouth to tell me you have a right to it?"

"I don't believe you! After all we've been through-"

"Like what? The part where you nearly got me killed, the part where you ate all my food or the part where you used me as transportation? Or maybe you mean the part that's coming up, the part where we finally finish this test and I stop being useful to you? Hmm? The part where you abandon me like everyone else except these two friends I have that you think you have a right to? That part May?"

"You don't know me!" She screams back, red in the face.

"No. I don't. And trust me Maple, you really want to keep it that way. Just... just shut up okay? The last few days have been a lot of fun, but when we finish this test it'll be over. You and Zoey can congratulate yourselves on how nice you were to the freak, I'll go back to my real friends and the whole fucking world will keep on turning."

She slaps me. Hard. I don't try to avoid it.

"You asshole! Fine! Go back to your stupid friends. I bet they're just a bunch of idiot pricks like you anyway."

"Don't talk about them like that." I growl.

"Why not? It's probably true. People like you should just do the world a favour and die!"

She stomps off and enters her tent. I walk to mine, wrap myself in my sleeping bag, and try to forget who I am.

_(Ash?)_ Pikachu asks timorously. He was probably sleeping in my tent before, but I doubt that anything could have slept through my fight with May.

"_That was stupid Ketchum. Do not draw attention to your position in hostile territory. That's been drilled into you since day one at the Academy."_

I tried not to think about whether or not alienating sweet young girls who wanted to know me better was stupid or not. I knew the answer and I didn't want to dwell on it.

"_They would have left you anyway when they found out what everyone else thought of you. It's better that it ends now anyway."_

_(Ash? Is everything okay?)_

I sigh and roll over to face him.

"It's okay Pikachu." I tell him, scratching behind his ears. "I just got my ass kicked by the status quo. Again."

* * *

><p>"You had better not be staring at my ass!" May snapped from above me.<p>

"If you don't move your ass, the only thing I'm going to be staring at is six feet of dirt!" I growl back.

Three hundred feet up a stony cliff face was not the best place to have an argument, but May and I were making do. The beach and the line of mountains were not that far apart, but we'd had to cut our way through the intervening jungle. That had taken a few hours and it was already noon before we hit the first outcroppings of the mountain's slope. It might have been better to wait until morning before making our ascent, but with the time limit in effect we had decided to risk it. Zoey went first, tying down our rope when there were accessible features in the stone. She also sussed out the best routes to take. May and I, less experienced as we were, followed her lead. It was a sensible formation, but did not take into account human fallibilities such as anger. May and I had snapped at each other all morning, before settling into a quiet discontent. Zoey undoubtedly knew the cause of our ire- there was no way she could have stayed asleep during our argument- but chose to pretend as if nothing were out of place. She was as cheery and helpful as ever, despite the stubborn silence May and I had affected.

Not that May was the only cause of my discomfort. Zoey had informed us in no uncertain terms that there was only one mountain we could cross in a reasonable amount of time. Apparently the mountain I had noticed last night was the only one with a climbable surface. I didn't like this. It was like the thing was trying to draw us in, like it wanted to be climbed so that it could trap us all the more effectively. I had wanted to argue the point with her, but what was I going to say? That I had a bad feeling? That this mountain was slightly darker than it should be in full daylight? If I came out with anything that nebulous, May would pounce on it. She'd tell me that it was an imperfection in the stone or something, and that I was just a coward.

It isn't just an imperfection though, I can see that now. The rock in the cliff face looks the same as all the other rock we've passed on this island, just... dwindled somehow. As if this one piece of land was cast in twilight at all hours of the day. Earlier I had surreptitiously lit a match against the side of one of the crags to see if it made a difference. Under the match's light the stone had appeared completely normal. So it wasn't just me, this thing really was deflecting sunlight somehow.

Creepy? Sort of. Unusual anyway. I didn't know if it meant danger or not, but I didn't like leaving things like that to chance. And the fact that the one unusual mountain was also the only climbable mountain... coincidences were starting to add up, and I didn't like it one bit. Luckily we were almost done. I grip the rope and pull myself up onto a relatively flat piece of ground that Zoey informs us is the beginning of a mountain pass. A thin corridor between walls of stone leads us further in to the heart of the mountain, and should eventually bring us to the slope on the other side. All three of us were relieved to be done with the most physically exhausting part of the climb, and it was with a sense of relief that we walked into the pass.

That was when we hit the river.

It was probably a tributary that carried snow melt from the peak down to the ocean, and it wasn't very wide. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that it had obviously been around for a while, and had carved a hundred foot drop right in the path of our only route out of here.

"Well... shit." I say, kicking a stone down into the rift. "Suggestions? Can we climb down?"

Zoey shakes her head. "Not on something that sheer. Not with just a rope. If you've got a flying pokemon we could get the rope to the other side and try to shimmy over."

"I don't. And how would we hold the rope down? Besides, I think our rope has had it. Look, it frayed in the ascent."

"Damn. Maybe we could-"

May clears her throat. "This is, of course, merely a suggestion. But maybe before we get into complicated tricks with a broken rope we could try that bridge over there?"

Zoey and I turn to look towards where she's pointing. There is a bridge there, although it barely qualifies for the term. It's fairly ramshackle, made entirely of rotting rope and creaky wood.

"A bridge? Here? Who built it?"

"How about Devon Corp, idiot?" May says curtly. "They are developing these islands, remember?"

"We didn't see any roads down on the island."

"They could be on the other side!"

"Then why the crappy bridge? Even Devon Corp does better than this. Besides, they can afford boats big enough to circumvent the islands currents and just go around the range by sea."

"Well you can stand there bitching, but I have a test to finish."

May makes to step onto the bridge, but Zoey stops her.

"Better let me test it out, see if it's safe."

"Why you first?"

"Because she's lighter." I sneer. May shoots me a dirty look which I return. But on the inside I just sigh. We were getting along so well, too...

Zoey chooses to just ignore our comments.

"Okay, I'll go first, May goes fifteen paces behind me and Ash goes fifteen paces behind her."

"Why all three at once? That thing doesn't look too stable."

"Because we want to spread out the weight. If we go one at a time we put all the weight on one point, but if we all go-"

"We stretch it out. Like a wire. Are you sure this is safe?"

She shrugs. "Nobody said it was safe. There isn't a safe way to do this. If you want to go one at a time we could try it. There are advantages to that too."

May shakes her head. "No Zoey, he's just being a coward. We'll do it your way."

I ignore the shot. Zoey looks uncertain, but nods and begins to make her crossing. At fifteen paces she stops and thinks.

"It seems safe!" She shouts back to us. "Your turn May! Try to keep in step with me!"

May ventures onto the bridge, somewhat hesitantly. I wait for her to get the same distance from me as Zoey was from her, and then I step out myself. Despite May's comments, I didn't actually have a fear of falling. I did, however, have a healthy fear of hitting the ground.

I gulp and try not to look down.

* * *

><p>It was time. He had to do this just right- in this game there would be no second chances.<p>

The Zoey girl had been right, the bridge was less likely to collapse if weight was drawn over its length rather than at one point. But while she had factored in physics, she hadn't taken into account the possibility that her companion carried an ancient evil deep within himself.

Nobody ever took Kaelus into account, not even Ash. It was one of the joys of his existence.

Manipulating aura without using Ash's body to do it was incredibly difficult. It was true that the use of Aura was primarily a mental discipline, but without a body it was hard to focus the myriad mental energies required to draw upon the one true force. But Kaelus had spent years without anything to do but think. He was good at it now.

He reached out with all the power he could bear. He found the bridge.

He found the rope.

He found the weakness.

One small push was all it took. Atoms moved, links weakened, fibres split and Haruka's fate was sealed.

* * *

><p>Zoey was already on the far side when it happened. May was about three-quarters of the way across, and I had just passed the midpoint. There was a muted snapping noise behind me, and suddenly the bridge lurched to the left.<p>

"Get off!" screamed Zoey. "It broke, get off now!"

I need no second bidding. I start to run, heedless of the drop. May, however, loses her balance. I draw level with her, grab her by the arm and yank her up and then-

The world tilts forwards. Zoey yells something, and then the bridge snaps at the middle. May and I barely have time to grab on to the ropes before our half of the bridge smashes into the cliff face with an almighty din of breaking wood.

"May! Ash! Are you okay?"

"Fucking peachy!" I yell back, dangling over the chasm.

"I'm okay!" May says, dangling beside me. The two of us start to climb up the wrecked remnants of the bridge... until there's an ominous cracking noise and the entire thing slips down about a foot.

"Zoey? What was that?"

"Shit! Oh hell!"

"Zoey, that didn't sound good! What's up?"

"It's you guys! You're too heavy! The supports are being pulled right out of the ground!"

"Well hold them down!"

"I can't! The entire ridge is collapsing! You're already pulling on it; if I get to close I could loosen the rocks!"

"Well fucking do _something!_"

"Can we climb up?"

We try. A few seconds of it confirms that we're going to pull the bridge right out of the rocks if we keep it up.

"It's the weight." May sighs, her head slumping forward. "Damn it, we're going to die because we're fat enough to pull out a freaking bridge. This sucks."

It was true. Two people and their gear weigh a lot, and although the bridge seemed to have reached an equilibrium for now, it was only a matter of time before it tipped. Zoey couldn't get near the edge, and we couldn't climb for fear of tearing out the support pins. We could dump the gear I guess, but May and I would still weigh a lot. Besides, all the thrashing we would have to do would send the bridge over anyways.

But... there were always other options...

I reach for my parang, and let my fingertips brush against its wooden handle. One quick poke and May would let go. It was a shame, but Haruka would have to die.

And I would have to be the one to do it.

"_What...the...fuck? Haruka? You're talking about May, and you're talking about murdering May. What the hell is wrong with you?"_

But it was the only way, wasn't it? Zoey wouldn't even have to find out. I could tell her that Haruka had merely slipped and fell.

"_May! This is May, and she is your friend. Get a fucking grip!"_

_But she isn't your friend, my host. You made that abundantly clear last night._

Stab her.

_She's against you. They all are._

"_Dammit, no!"_

Was this the only way? My head... hurts...

_She hates you-_

"_Don't! Save her! Dear lord, don't do this!"_

The voices...

"Zoey!" May screams, right next to my ear. "Zoey, help!"

"May." I grunt, trying to shut out the war inside my head. "May!"

"What!" She screams back. She's frightened. This girl, this girl who eats too much and wants to be a princess and who I shut down simply because she got too close to me is going to die, die here on some fucking island because of a stupid accident-

I grit my teeth and let one hand travel to my waist. Hanging on with one hand isn't easy, but I don't have to keep it up for long. I undo my belt, and clip it onto her pack.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You have to get my pokemon to Gary, okay? He'll take care of them."

"What? What are you-"

"It's the weight, May. One of us can climb up. Not both of us. Tell Misty I said I was sorry."

And with that, I kick off the wreckage of the bridge with one foot and let go of the rope. Maybe May screamed as I fell. Maybe it was me.

Then I hit the water and screaming became the least of what I did.

* * *

><p><em>No! Damnation, no! The idiot boy with his hell-spawned heroic streak! All he had to do was follow the plan and-<em>

Kaelus cut off that train of thought and focused on keeping Ash alive. This was bad. Very, very bad. The fall wasn't fatal, but the rapids would be if Kaelus didn't act quickly. He set to the task of moving Ash's body while the boy's mind was consumed with pain.

_Even if he survives this, it'll just drive him closer to Haruka. He saved her life- damn it all! She always was a soppy little girl at heart. She won't forget this._

But Kaelus had bigger problems now. For as Ash's body was pummelled by the rapids, he was also being swept down the river and deep underground.

They had entered the mountain.

Baal was waiting.

**This chapter investigates more deeply Kaelus' thoughts about Ash. I was getting the impression that Kaelus felt like a useless side character that I'd stuck in there for kicks, which wasn't how I meant to portray him. He's actually an enormously important crux on which the story rests.**

**I should also point out that I know most island mountains are volcanic, and would therefore be unlikely to form a contiguous ridge. Don't let geography ruin your enjoyment of life.**

**Don't worry Advanceshippers, May and Ash will reconcile. They didn't mean it anyway- Ash was being pushed into an angry response by Kaelus, and May only struck out because she was hurt that Ash didn't think of her as a friend.**

**Next time: Ash vs. Baal- who can be creepiest?**


	12. Chapter 12: ArAshnaphobia

**Okay, chapter twelve. More Kaelus in this, as well as a battle scene.**

**Cyberbeta: First let me thank you for putting so much effort into a review. If you've read my author note in chapter eleven, I've spoken about how I'm trying to find the right tone for Ash. You were also right about Kaelus, although he's coming into his own faster than I had thought he would. Ash is connected to Aaron, and the girls are connected to people from the past as well, but "reborn" isn't quite the right word. I'm not completely sure how I'm going to write for the other gym leaders or how I'm going to fill Ash's remaining slots, but however I do it I hope to make it fit seamlessly instead of jamming it in. As for Lugia, hmmmm... I don't know. I might use Lugia but I can't think of how I'd make him work. You raise a good point though, I should think about what role the Legendary pokemon are going to play in this fic.**

**On that note, I should announce a **

**!POLL ALERT!**

**See the bottom for details.**

* * *

><p><strong>12-ArAshnaphobia<strong>

"_**...was said that The One had fallen from the high paths...**_

_**...unto the mouth of night... from him the many... **_

_**...dwelt there, the beast **_**[**UNINTELLIGIBLE**] **_**lay in waiting... **_

_**...had not, but brought with him an evil greater than any he found within..."**_

_**-Fragmented passage found amidst the ruins of Torvidniik, Northern Sinnoh. Translation by Samuel Oak, Professor Emeritus of the Regional Alliance Academy of Kanto.**_

Cold.

Dark.

Painful.

The first two were important of course, but at the moment I was rather focused on number three. I... hell, I burned. I don't know how that was possible considering how cold I was, but that's what it felt like- as if every nerve in my body was acting as an incandescent source of pain. I made an ugly glottal noise halfway between a cough and a whimper and tried to roll over.

This was a bad idea. Neither one of my legs seemed to be inclined to respond, and everything I owned was bruised. The pathetic attempt I make at movement results only in a splashing noise and a few jerky movements from my left arm. I try to scream until my lungs inform me that they aren't up to it, and then I just sort of lay there and whimper.

But I can't stay here. My legs might be numb to the cold, put I can still feel the gentle pull of the subterranean river. Slowly, haltingly, I extend my left arm and grab onto what feels like a rock. I then pull myself as far up the bank as I can- a few feet at best.

Then I pass out.

Cold.

Dark.

Painful.

Repetitive.

I open my eyes for the second time, not that it helps. I might as well have kept them shut considering the fact that this place is pitch black.

Or I've gone blind. Let's hope it isn't that.

I actually manage to sit up this time, which is a good sign. I simply sit there for a minute, brain trapped in a haze of pain and an odd feeling of lassitude. It would be so nice just to sleep...

Not an option. First things first, take stock. Legs: not broken but seemingly out of commission for now. Arms: slightly better. My left feels slightly better than my right. My hands are okay, although I think one of my fingers is broken. My head... let's not talk about my head. It felt as if it was about to shatter like glass.

_My host! My host you must awaken now!_

"_Unhh... Kaelus?"_

_Yes! How do you feel?_

"_Good. Fine. Great. How are you?"_

_You must get up my host, you are in grave danger!_

"_Just... like always huh?"_ I giggle madly, fighting to stay awake.

_This is not humorous in the slightest! Wake up now!_

" _I'm so tired... what happened?"_

_You fucked up big time, that's what happened! Now get up you insensate idiot of insufficient intellect, we need to move NOW!_

Yeah, easier said than done. I feel less awful than the first time I woke up, but serious movement isn't going to be an option for a bit. I can't see, I hurt like hell and my memory is a mess.

"_May... and then the bridge... I fell right?"_

Kaelus sighs, but seems to recognize that the more corporeal among us need time to heal.

_Yes. You fell._

"_Where are we?"_

_Deep beneath the mountain. It appears to have a honeycomb of cave formations carved by the water. The river swept you along its path and deposited you within some kind of cavern. I suggest we leave as soon as you are able._

"_Why's that? I need to rest."_

_Why? Well, there's the fact that your supplies were washed away, so you're going to starve to death if we don't find our way out. There's the fact that I have been picking up some very disturbing vibrations in the aura for the last hour. And then there's the fact of what you're sitting in._

"_Sitting- what am I sitting in?"_

_Take a look._

I reach down to my belt to take out Pikachu, my own personal nightlight, but my fingers find nothing but my jeans.

"_Fuck. Had to be noble, didn't I?"_

_Yes, unfortunately._

"_Then how the hell am I supposed to see?"_

_One moment._

Silence for a moment. Then, quite suddenly, I feel a jabbing pain in my eyes.

"_Gahhh... what the hell?"_

_It is for you own good boy. Now look around._

I open my eyes and the world is different. Grey lines pulse and vibrate over every surface, with an entire rainbow of colour interspersed throughout. The river is... impossible to look at. It's green and blue and purple and swirling, and, and... I don't know. It's everything.

"_What is this?"_

_This is aura. Get used to it._

"_You can see in aura?"_

_Light is energy. Heat is energy. You can see in those. Aura is... well technically it is the source of all energies, but the comparison holds. You can see in it._

"_But nothing looks the same! Everything is the wrong shape- look at the rocks!"_

_Yes. You see, aura vision isn't limited to the here and now. You're seeing what the rocks are now... but also what they were and what they will be. And what they desire to be. And how they feel._

"_Rocks don't feel!"_

_Shows what you know. Aura is complicated. Concentrate hard enough and you will be able to see in a spectrum closer to what you're used to. Do you see the black?_

"_No..."_

_I suppose I put it badly. In the rocks- do you see the nothingness where black should be?_

He was right, sort of. Within the... grey vibrating things that were apparently rocks, there were flecks of nothing where there should be colour. It looked like they were filled with tiny holes in the universe.

_That isn't far from the truth. That is what evil looks like._

"_Evil? Evil isn't a physical thing. And weren't you the one who told me earlier that rocks don't distinguish between right and wrong?"_

_I already told you, aura surpasses the physical. And the rocks didn't create the evil, they merely absorbed it. My host, we must leave. There is an incredibly dark presence here. Have you looked down yet?_

I'd forgotten all about that. I looked down at what I was sitting in and-

Oh crap. Bones.

They were everywhere too, big and small. If I focused hard enough I could get the weird aura lines to fade and a more realistic (and illuminated) picture of the world snapped into place. I saw that the colour of the bones lying all over the cavern floor was a pale, deathly white.

White? Old bones were yellow. These were fresh. And there were a lot of them.

Crap.

_Yes, excrement. Are you going to stand there swearing or are you going to run?_

Kaelus and I have our differences, but the importance of survival is a common point. I get my ass in gear. Unfortunately "gear" in this context refers to a pained staggering. It isn't much, but it's amazing considering how badly I felt. I guess my legs didn't want to meet whatever had created that mausoleum either.

I stumble through the paths of stone, my vision flickering and shifting. This power is hard to control- I keep switching between aura vision, enhanced vision and complete darkness. Several times I try to step on an outcropping only to find out that it was merely an impression or a desire, a whim of aura. Kaelus, too agitated to make fun of me, tells me that with practice I'll be able to move with any type of sight equally well and that I should hurry the hell up. He's worried about whatever he's sensed, something he won't elaborate upon.

It's odd how there's no time here. No sun to mark by, no stars... I can't even go by how hungry I am, because I don't know how long I was laying by the river. Within these caves there exists only unending darkness, stone and more stone. I could have been walking for hours or for days, I don't know. What I do know was that it was just as I had finished one of my unfortunately necessary breaks that I first heard the noise. It wasn't anything too frightening in itself- merely the sound of something scrabbling at a wall- but it was the first thing I'd heard since entering this place that wasn't rushing water.

"_What was that?"_

_What?_

Just then I hear it again. A scrabbling noise, louder this time.

"_Oh Mew... Kaelus, something is in here with us."_

It was at that moment that my aura vision decided to cut out and leave me helpless in the dark. I swear out loud, my voice hoarse with disuse.

_Run! Run now, you can't fight him yet!_

I make to run, but I barely get a few steps before what feels like the world's hairiest bus tackles me. I go flying and crash to the floor stunned. I try to stand, but something with the hardness of a steel bar sweeps out my legs from under me. Instead of trying to get up again, I roll away and then stagger to my feet. I back up into a wall, feeling sick and dizzy from the punishment. My hand moves to the only piece of equipment the river hasn't claimed- my knife- but whatever attacked me has backed off. All I hear is a disgusting chittering noise, horrifically reminiscent of human laughter.

"_What the hell is that?"_

_Close your eyes and make the biggest flash you can!_

"_But-"_

_Do it!_

I squeeze my eyes shut and extend my hand. I can feel energy start to tingle in my fingers, and I release my electric aura. Even with my eyes shut I can see the flash- a bright blue explosion of energy. In front of me something let's off the most hideous scream I have ever heard, a warbling screech of fury.

_You blinded him, but it won't last. Run!_

Run to where? My sight had cut out, the flash had hurt my eyes as well, and I didn't even know where the thing I was running from was exactly. Nevertheless, I get up and start groping my way along the walls.

_There! To your left- a small passage. Climb up, get as close to the surface as you can!_

I pitch through the small opening in the rock and climb as fast as I can. My lungs burn, my legs ache and I'm walking through something that feels unpleasantly like slime, but I don't even think of slowing down.

"_Why the surface? I mean, I want out of here too but shouldn't we focus on hiding from whatever that was?"_

_He hates sunlight. If you can get to the surface you'll be safe._

"_What if it's night?"_

_Then we are most well and truly fucked. Ash, you must not fight him. You are not ready yet._

"_Him? Not it? Who is he? What is he? How do you know?"_

_How I know is unimportant. What he is is dangerous. And insane. He's-_

"_Wait!"_

My aura sight chose this moment to kick back in, and I take the opportunity to look at my surroundings. I've entered a large enclosure where water drips off the walls. Stalactites the size of my leg hang down from the ceiling... but they aren't what occupies my attention. With aura sight the walls appear to be there usual grey, except along one there's an angry splotch of red. Red that gets deeper every second.

_What are you doing? Do not waste time!_

"_That wall over there... I think something is-"_

The wall explodes in a shower of rock and dust. And through it bursts... something. To me it appears as a crimson blur of light, laced with the same colour of nothingness I had observed earlier in the stones. Unlike the stones, however, there was no doubt that this thing was the cause of the nothingness- it streams throughout its body like a gash in space.

Then it noticed me and all hell broke loose.

The thing swarmed over me with a speed that should be impossible in something of that bulk. I'm knocked down, and something hairy pins my chest, crushing the air out of my lungs. I gather aura into my arm and smack the thing on my chest as hard as I can-

Nothing. Didn't even move.

That was when my aura sight went out and my enhanced vision turned back on. As I got my first good look at the thing, I almost wished the rapids had finished me. At least rapids are quick and impersonal.

Calling it a spider would be like calling a war a bar fight. This thing was... ah, hell. I can describe it to you, and I'll do my best, but nothing can capture the pants-soaking terror of being beneath it. It was well over twenty feet long, and had to weigh at least a few hundred pounds. It had the standard eight legs (one of which was busy crushing me to death) segmented in at least three places. Its chest-

_Thorax._

Thorax, whatever, expanded to a bulbous abdomen the size of a small car. Its face was... wrong. Just wrong. Instead of the fangs or mandibles you'd expect on a spider, it had this pulpy mass of... eughhh. It was dribbling venom, or spit, or something all over the floor. And near the top of its head were the eyes. Bright yellow and bloodshot they stared at me not with the blank, glassy face of the standard arachnid but with eight diseased orange pupils.

All in all though, I think it was probably the colour that bothered me the most. I expected spiders- even ones this big- to be black, or brown or something. This thing was not. It was a sickly yellow colour, mottled throughout with purple. The thing was the colour of dying flesh.

And then it started talking.

"It has been a long time since humans braved my mountain. Welcome foodling."

Now that was freaky. It didn't have a mouth exactly, just a hole in the middle of its wriggling face. But the tendrils around the hole writhed and vibrated, creating passable human speech along with one hell of a disturbing spectacle.

I freak out. Nobody really likes spiders, do they? I didn't have a phobia, but there's something about them that makes even the most stolid of persons a little squeamish. They look wrong- alien somehow. My aura infused punch earlier did nothing- a fact I still find disturbing, even the Tyranitar reacted a little- but there's always plan B.

I take the parang out of its sheath and stab the thing in the leg. I don't bother hitting it in the chitin- if something this big is able to stand then its shell has to be massively thick- but I bury my knife into the segment joint, hoping to hit weaker flesh. It works, for a given value of the word 'works'. The thing screams again and thrashes around, which would have been great if I hadn't been under its leg. As it is, I'm flung clear to the other side of the cavern, landing with a painful crunching noise.

Then it sits on me.

It probably hadn't meant to- it was just stumbling around, as a human might do if they'd stubbed their toe- but that doesn't change the fact that several hundred pounds of pissed off spider is now stomping me flat. Parang still in hand (mostly thanks to Riley- he taught me never to let go of a weapon unless it's that or die) I slash upwards blindly trying to get it to move. I must have hit something important, because its flesh parts and spews out a greeny-black ichor all over me.

The spider scrabbles off of me, leaking whatever fluid it uses in place of blood. I stagger to my feet- trying to breath, trying to see- but am quickly knocked down again. Stabbing it in the leg and stomach hasn't done anything but piss it off. It pushes me down and starts to savage me with its forelegs and mouth.

I guess... I guess this is it. As far as I go. It's a shame, really- after surviving fifteen years of being me, I didn't think there was a kind of death that could scare me. Being eaten by a giant spider in a place with no sun came pretty close though. My last thoughts are pleasant, however- I think of the others. About Misty and Gary, about Riley. Even about Brock and Zoey and May. And I keep struggling with my waning strength as I'm beaten down...

"_Fuck. Sorry guys. I guess it's up to you now."_

* * *

><p><em>No. It's up to me.<em>

It was time. Kaelus knew it was risky- Ash's body wasn't ready for its full power yet, too much and he'd burn out completely- but it had to be done.

It wouldn't have even worked under normal circumstances. The boy simply wasn't strong enough yet, and Kaelus didn't have enough control. But Ash was currently fighting with a strength known only to the desperate and the dying.

The boy's mind began to slip. As the human body dies painfully, the mind finds various ways to cope- it blanks out in terror, or starts up flashbacks to distract the victim while death takes them. But there was no fear in Ash's soul, and he had very little worth remembering.

So as his consciousness descended, all it found was a limitless supply of Kaelus.

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes for the first time in my life, and the world had changed.<p>

Oh, not the immediately pertinent bits. I mean, Baal was still trying to eat me and everything. But for me personally the world had changed.

I was me. I was us. I was in charge.

Baal believes that since I've gone slack, I've finally decided to give up and die. He presses his face close, preparing to inject the venom that will dissolve my innards into a nutritious soup.

Not gonna happen.

As he leans in, I reach up and grab a fist full of the tendrils on his face. Ash would have been disgusted, but I grin as Baal stares at me in surprise.

Then I tear half of his face off.

He screams. Not like his earlier vocalizations which were merely hunting cries, this time he screams in pain. Bah. Weakling. This is Baal the all-consumer? This geriatric fool? He must be getting old. I'd heard the stories of course, but either they were exaggerated or age had robbed Baal of his strength. A millennia ago he could have destroyed a platoon of aura guardians. Five hundred years ago, Ash would have been dead in seconds. And today this fat, pathetic relic was screaming before me like a child.

I pick myself up and dust myself off. Ash would be in for a lot of pain when he woke up, but I ignore the sensations from the body. They aren't important. Survival is important. As I check the body for signs of any wounds that must be dealt with, Baal begins to speak.

"The foodling will pay for that. I was going to be merciful, but now your death will take days. You will beg me for-"

"Oh cut the crap. You aren't scaring anyone, idiot. And have you seen the way you're limping? Hurt by a single human? You're getting old Baal."

He chitters, rubbing his remaining facial tendrils with his foreleg.

"The foodling knows us?"

"No. But I've heard of you. Why don't you look me in the eyes Baal, and tell me who I really am?"

His eyes move to lock with mine, and then widen.

"You!" He hisses.

"So you have heard of me? I'm impressed. You're up with the news for such a" Here I gesture to the mountain around me "homebody."

"My children tell me much. They told me of your treachery."

"It wasn't mine. It was the boy's, although I did help. And why not? What has your kind ever done for me?"

"This discussion is pointless, and I hunger. I wonder if your presence will add spice to the boy's taste?"

He leaps, lightning quick... but not quick enough. Instead of avoiding his leap completely, I merely step back a few paces. When he lands, I gouge two of his eyes out. He scuttles back, hissing and cursing.

"Maybe. Maybe you can take me Baal. I'll admit that you were strong once, and I don't have much control over this body yet. But pain is a hell of a motivator isn't it? How badly do you think I can hurt you before I die?"

"Meaningless words. Meaningless emotions. Pain is irrelevant- all I need is hunger." He raises his abdomen, preparing to strike again. I just grin.

"You're overlooking two things here Baal. One is that the boy is a guardian, even if he is young yet."

Baal shrugs dismissively. "Again, irrelevant. Aura does not frighten me. And the second thing?"

"Doesn't the air seem fresh in here to you?" I say, placing the palm of my hand against the wall behind me.

Then I focus all the boy's aura and blow a hole in the wall.

I was right- the air was too fresh for us to be deep underground. Through the hole I had just created, early morning sunlight streams into the cavern and strikes Baal. He screams, his flesh burning, and crawls into a side tunnel. I laugh, and run off into the jungle. Sunlight may burn Baal like acid, but it felt amazing to me, because it was mine. So was darkness.

_All this- all this is mine!_

_Everything is mine._

* * *

><p>Warm.<p>

Light.

Still painful.

I open my eyes to the warm sunlight beating down upon me. Blue sky, gentle breeze... everything is perfect.

Then I remember who I am.

Fifteen years of being Ash Ketchum can hit a guy the wrong way. So I did what any self respecting human being would do in the face of a harsh and undeniable reality. I vomited.

Feeling a bit better, I sit up. At this point my body has given up and informed me that it's shutting down whether I like it or not, but with a little effort I rise far enough to get a better look around. I'm lying on a beach, jungle behind me and ocean in front. No mountain, no darkness, and most importantly, no spider.

"How... how did I get here?"

_You walked._

"Kaelus? You... you bastard... with the spider..."

_Baal will bother us no longer, although I suggest we be out of here before nightfall._

"Baal. That fucking thing has a name?"

_Keep your voice down. And yes, he has a name._

"_A name that you know. How?"_

_That is unim-_

"_Yes it is bloody important! How did you know its name, or that it hates sunlight? What was it? What are you? What the fuck is happening?"_

_What do you care? It was an enemy. Everyone is your enemy. Baal can be killed just like all the others. Didn't I tell you to let me rip? Let me kill?_

"_That doesn't make any-"_

_Are you angry because I won't tell you what's happening or because Riley won't?_

I pause.

"_What does he have to do with anything?"_

_Oh come on. He sends you to a tournament to find odd things, and you just happen to walk into a talking demonic spider? Do you really believe he didn't know what he was sending you to do? He's sending you to die!_

"_I... that spider could just have absorbed aura from the dark wars or something..."_

_Listen to yourself! Baal was a symptom, not the disease! There are others like him, only far stronger. Far more subtle. Riley is using you as bait to draw them out._

"_How do you know this? What are you?"_

Silence.

"_Damn it all Kaelus, tell me now or-"_

_Or what? You'll force me to? How? Maybe you can tell Riley about me- go on, tell him about the one advantage you have that he doesn't know about. I'm not telling you shit. If you want to find out what Baal was then do it on your own._

I sigh and lay back down on the sand.

"_We need to get out of here."_

_Yes, we do. Especially since the time limit-_

"Shit!"

_I said keep your voice down!_

"_Shit!"_

_Relax, I think you still have some time left. But we need to go now._

"_Go where? Zoey had the map."_

_But the island we need is to the southwest._

"_Yeah, if you go straight. We were going to island hop, remember?"_

_No time. Head southwest._

"_Over water?"_

_Swim._

"_Oh, yes. I'll just do that, shall I? Swim several miles through the open ocean? Kaelus, I fell off a bloody cliff, spent hours in some freezing water, got hit by rapids and was then beaten up by a spider the size of a school bus. I CAN BARELY FUCKING MOVE AND YOU WANT ME TO SWIM SEVERAL GODDAMNED MILES?"_

_Ask for help._

"_Yes, I'm sure the trees will be amenable to lending me aid. Or did you want me to ask the sand?"_

_Are you actually this stupid? You can talk to pokemon, remember?_

_..._

_Well?_

"_Would that work? I thought I could only do that if I were close to them. Besides, Eevee still won't talk to me. Why should a wild pokemon be able to?"_

_The fox has its mind closed on purpose. And you don't need to understand anything, you merely need to be understood. Go down to the water and give it a try._

I rise. Stiffly, true, but at least I manage it. I hobble down to the water's edge, and look at the shimmering blue surface.

"_Hello?"_

Nothing.

_Did you expect that to work? You sound like you're asking for help in a supermarket. Do not speak, order. Do not ask, command._

"_Alright, I'll try again."_

I rub my temples with a hand, and try to focus.

"_Pokemon, to me!"_

Again, nothing.

"Well, this is stupid." I mutter. "Kaelus, are you sure that-"

The water in front of me parts, and something brown floats there staring at me. I fall on my ass, surprised by the sudden appearance.

"Gah! What the fuck is that thing?"

_That is a Feebas my host. You summoned it._

"Well put it back!"

"Feee..." it moans, slightly reproachfully.

_Congratulations. I believe you have managed to insult it._

I stand up and approach it cautiously. It isn't actually that bad now that I get a good look at it. I mean it looks like someone painted a Magikarp brown- and believe me, Magikarps are not beauties to begin with- but it wasn't frightening at all. I reach out with my hand, and it lets me stroke its fins a little.

"Sorry, no offense. I was just a little surprised."

"Bassssss..."

"Yeah, that's cool. Um, can I have a ride? I need to get to a big island southwest of here and I'm sort of... broken."

"Feebas!"

"Excellent. Let me just pack my mental disorder and we'll be off."

_Very funny._

I don't really have the time or the energy to make a raft, so I guess I'll just have to hold on and hope for the best. I grab the Feebas around the middle and we take off.

* * *

><p>The trip over was surprisingly uneventful. Feebas dealt with the open ocean much more easily than a raft would have, and the sun wasn't even at its peak when we hit shore at our destination, the only populated island in the archipelago.<p>

Funnily enough, I didn't hit any problems until the registration desk. The clerk there felt I represented enough problems that he had to call his superior to sort them out.

"Sir there is a... person here who claims he's an entrant. He's covered in black and green slime sir. Yes sir. No, he's standing here dripping wet with a fish under his arm. No I don't know what kind!"

"It's a Feebas." I pipe up helpfully.

"Feebas!" cried Feebas, backing me up. He (or she, or it, or whatever) had been so tired after our swim that I'd volunteered to take it to the Pokecenter before releasing it. Feebas had acquiesced wearily.

The clerk sets down the receiver and gives me the world's most brittle smile.

"Congratulations Mr., uh..."

"Ketchum."

"Yes! Of course! You have successfully passed the islands of death portion of the Kindara tournament! Well done!" He says shrilly, and begins to clap desperately. When I don't react he coughs once or twice and moves along.

"Well, there is normally a period of rest for our examinees, however the lateness of your arrival-"

"Wait, how much time did I have left?"

"Don't ask. Anyway, there is currently a meeting in progress for those who passed this portion of the exam. To be honest, we didn't think anyone would succeed this late. If you hurry, you can still catch the important bits though. It's in the conference hall behind you."

"Can you get my fish checked out?"

"Uh, I-"

"Thanks." I stuff Feebas into his arms, whisper to it that I'll be back for it later and then make my way into the indicated hall. I must look awful- my clothes are torn, and the water didn't even touch the spider blood- but hey, I feel great. There are no more spiders and plenty of hot showers in my future.

I push through the door into a large auditorium where a man is speaking at the front. I slide into a seat at the back, getting some odd looks from those around me, and pay attention.

"-will advance to the final round. The rules and regulations will be sent around in hard copy as well, so I suggest you memorize them. Now as I'm sure you're aware, the first part of the tournament has just ended. We will now take attendance to ensure that everyone who made it is indeed present."

The man taps on the keyboard embedded within the podium, presumably to retrieve the information.

"Mmhmmm... I see. It appears that this year we have over a hundred and fifty of you advancing. We also have two new records for the islands of death test- the fastest completion of the test as well as the slowest. Alright, let's do this by times. At three days, four hours, twelve minutes and forty-two seconds, Lucas Hoseki. Lucas, are you here?"

What follows is just a list of names and times. I tune most of it out, although my ears prick up when I hear Misty, Gary and Brock's names go past at roughly five and a half days. May and Zoey both made it in about seven.

"At eight days, nineteen hours, seventeen minutes and eleven seconds, Barry Tetsuji. Barry, are you-"

The announcer gets no further. Some blond kid with weird hair jumps into the aisle and theatrically falls to his knees.

"Gah, I set a record for being last? I fine myself a million dollars!"

The announcer coughs.

"Please retake your seat Mr. Tetsuji. You are, in fact, second last. We have this year a record for the worst time ever to pass, at a staggering nine days, twenty-three hours, fifty-two minutes and forty-nine seconds. Ash Ketchum, if you're even in the crowd, what did you do, crawl here?"

"I took the scenic route, asshole!" I shout from the back. There are a few glances and snickers from the assembled contestants.

"To be sure. That concludes our meeting for now- please take some rest before the trials ahead."

The meeting breaks up. I walk to the front to grab a hard copy of all that I missed and-

Come face to face with my friends. All of them. Gary, who looks like he's shocked I'm alive, Misty and May, red-eyed and furious, Zoey and Brock who look relieved- all of them.

"Uhhhh... hey guys."

"Ash... how..." Gary sputters.

"Well I'd love to fill everyone in, but I need to grab my fish. Bye!"

I limp out of the room as fast as I can. I don't get more than ten steps before I feel Misty and May each grab one of my shoulders.

Shit. I should have stuck with the spider. Spiders can't stay mad for three days.

* * *

><p><strong>!POLL ALERT!<strong>

**Ash needs your help. Actually, he needs professional help, but you'll have to do. If he's going to angst his way past a cold and uncaring universe, he needs more than a rat, a fox, and a dog to do it with. So please vote on what his next pokemon should be. I cannot guarantee that I'll use the most popular choice- if it doesn't work story-wise, I won't do it- but I want to gauge public opinion on a few pokemon that I'm considering. Go to my profile page to vote (I think, I'm still working this site out). I will close the poll around the 15th of July or so depending on response. Someone please tell me if the poll isn't showing up, as I'm not quite sure how to create one.**

**I know that Baal looks like it rhymes with 'hall' or 'fall', but it actually rhymes with 'mail'.**

**I'm sorry that the names are ridiculous, but 'Lucas Koki' sounds even more stupid. For those of you who are curious, Hoseki is the Japanese word for jewel or gemstone (as in, diamond or pearl). Tetsuji is an alternate name for Barry, because "Barry Jun" didn't sound right either.**

**Looking back on it, this chapter is revealing without being informative. We know Ash has a new type of enemy (or possibly he's just found an old enemy?) because of Baal, but we don't know who they are or what they want yet. We know that Kaelus knows more then he's telling, but not why. What is Kaelus, and why does he protect Ash physically but ruin every other aspect of his life? All things in time, readers- I will answer these questions. Eventually. I also realize that it looks like I'm leaving loose ends- what killed Ash's mother? Where was Ash as a kid and why doesn't he remember it? Will we ever see Riolu actually fight? I have a plan for these too.**

**Unfortunately I don't think I'll be getting more chapters out for a while. I need to sort of back off from this fic and think about where I want it to go. Maybe fix up and re-upload a few chapters. But relax- I am the fan fiction equivalent of foot fungus.**

**I always return.**


	13. Chapter 13: How the Other Half Lives

**Now I know what you're thinking:**

"**HollowMan, you prolix pile of plebeian pond scum, what the hell is wrong with you? Did you not say you would fix up old chapters? Were you not going to add material to chapter two? Why have you taken over a month to upload new material? Must I beat new chapters out of you?"**

**Soothe your ire gentle reader. Partake of some calming ginger tea, or perhaps a bubble bath. I will not bore you with the details of my life, but will make do with saying that I have been busy. And, unfortunately, my free time ends when September begins. So, new chapters...hmmm... how does December sound?**

**Okay, maybe it isn't that bad. But I really won't have much free time. Kudos to those who have stuck with the story so far. I will attempt to amuse you whenever I have a moment. I am currently trying to re-upload old chapters, so if I fuck something up please bear with me.**

**To the people who have reviewed most recently:**

**Skilvh- I read your profile page and you are most awesomely insane. Thank you for the review, and I hope Shilvh enjoyed the fic as well.**

**Cer015- There are some mistakes, but they're usually made because I type too quickly and then forget to fix them. I do proofread, but usually at about three in the morning, so... anyway, thanks for the review and please enjoy the story.**

**Twilight- The Moon Spirit- Thank you for your reviews (plural). Though each was brief, I'm glad that you cared enough to give them. As a side note, did you know that you and Nauran are responsible for Fifty-three point three repeated percent of my reviews (24 of the current 45)?**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS CHAPTER REFERS TO AND RECAPS EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ CHAPTERS 9-12, THIS WILL NOT MAKE SENSE TO YOU. IF YOU HAVE READ CHAPTERS 9-12 IT WILL STILL MAKE NO SENSE, BUT YOU WILL BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO FLAME ME.**

**PS- For those of you who give a shit about where this fic is going, I have some questions for you in the bottom author's note in chapter fourteen (not this chapter).**

* * *

><p><strong>13-How the Other Half Lives<strong>

"_**Once it is realized that hatred is the purest emotion in the human lexicon then one comes to the inescapable conclusion that there is but a single accurate definition for a successful creator: That which you beget must despise you. If this is so, then you need look no further than my own existence to find meaning in life. I am the new god. There can be no other."**_

_**-Kaelus**_

Have you ever been teleported? We all had to do it once as part of the curriculum back at the academy, and it felt exactly as I remember- awful. It's like being broken up into millions of pieces and then getting welded back together. I can see why psychic users have such a high psychosis rate.

This teleporting was actually better than the last I had done, probably because I wasn't expecting it. One moment I was in the ship, the next thing I know I was being reconstituted miles away. At least, I think it was miles. It was dry land so it would have to be.

I sit around dazed, trying to take in my surroundings. It looks and sounds like a jungle, so I'll take the Occam route and assume it probably is.

"Well, uh..." I blink stupidly at the forest canopy. "What the fuck do I do now?"

That was when the backpack materialized above me and hit me in the head.

Once I was done screaming-

* * *

><p>-at Gary and Brock to get off of her. The two of them rolled off the fallen redhead, and all three youths lay on the ground groaning.<p>

Gary, who was the most flexible of the three in more ways than one, was the first to recover. He sat up and attempted to gather his bearings. Looking around, he realized that trees and ferns were not a common fixture among ships. He turned to his companions to alert them to the change in environment.

"Uhh... guys?"

"Aghhhh... you two need to lose some weight! You bruised my-"

"Guys!"

"What is it Gary?"

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I detect a significant lack of shipliness in the surrounding area. There does, in fact, appear to be a lot of jungle going on. Where the hell are we?"

Brock and Misty sat up as well, looking around them in wonder. Sunlight slanted through the jungle canopy above, illuminating a panorama of vegetation. The scene was beautiful, but not out of the ordinary- or at least, it wouldn't have been if they had not been on a ship moments before.

"That was teleportation wasn't it?" Said Misty quietly.

"I think so." Replied Brock. "It sure felt like it."

"Then... I guess this is one of the tests? What do we do?"

There was a bright flash above their heads, and three backpacks fell to the ground at the spot they had been laying on moments before. Gary read them out the attached note, discarded their rope ("trust me, I'm immune" he explained to a disgusted Misty), and shouldered his pack.

"We should probably move out now."

"You're right," said Brock "we need to get- hey, where's Ash?"

Gary blinked, confused, then started looking around for his friend.

"Huh. I wondered why no one had started swearing yet. I guess he was teleported somewhere else?"

"Do you think he's okay?" Asked Misty nervously.

"Pshht. He'll be fine Misty. Besides, it's for the best he isn't here."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well we're in a jungle right now, right?"

"So?"

"So if Ash were here, he'd tease you by pointing out how many bugs there must be in-" Gary clamped his hands over his mouth, but it was far, far too late. The colour drained out of Misty's face, and she opened her mouth, horrified.

She took in a deep breath, and then-

* * *

><p>"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Screamed May, falling from the sky onto her ass.<p>

She had always loved to sleep late, even as a child. So it was no surprise that she had slept in that morning, awakening just in time to miss the call to the meeting. She had discovered to her delight that the kitchen was devoid of people but filled with food, and had just been about to dig in when the world dropped out from underneath her. Having your consciousness broken into millions of fragments and reconstituted several miles away was bad enough, but when you're accidently reconstituted ten feet above where you should be...

Well. That just sucked.

But as she sat there rubbing her aching bottom and muttering, she realized that it wasn't so bad. Wherever she was, it was pretty. There were lots of trees, and flowers and... smaller trees, she thought, her botanical knowledge expended. It was warm too, with a nice breeze and a splash of pure white sunlight. Her mother had taught her to cherish days like this, so she may as well make the best of it.

It was with this mindset that she sprang up, ready to face whatever challenges awaited. This was a good thing, as it meant she narrowly avoided the backpack that landed where she had been sitting. She jumped, startled by the sudden apparition, but soon overcame her surprise and read Devon's letter. A quick perusal was enough to get her smiling. Despite the dire warning in the missive, there were worse ways to be tested than to have to hike through a tropical paradise. "Islands of Death"? Ha! Maybe she could get some sunbathing in before she beat this test...

So it was with confidence and light heartedness that May took her first step on her journey. It was not until the second step that cold waves of dread overtook her.

"Wait..." She muttered, horrified.

"Does this mean I... I have to... skip breakfast?"

They had teleported her just as she was... damn them!

"No! Why? Why-"

* * *

><p>-me?" complained Brock.<p>

"Why you what?"

"Why does Misty have to ride my back? You're the one who brought up the stupid bugs!"

"Bugs!" Shivered Misty, digging her nails even further into Brock's neck. She was perched precariously on the older boy's shoulders, having refused to take a single step through the underbrush.

"Because you're taller, ergo further away from the ground. And because she hasn't got Ash to cling to."

Misty, temporarily snapped out of her fear, kicked Gary in the chest. "Shut the hell up Gary!"

Brock glanced at the two of them curiously. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't mean anything. He's just being an idiot." Misty glared at Gary, who just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on Brock! Am I the only one who sees it? You'd think that Ash would have worked out himself after five fucking years."

"Worked out...?" Brock asked. Finally the light of comprehension dawned in his, um... eyes... and he turned to Gary. "Oh. Oh! You mean, Ash and Misty are-"

"We aren't anything!" Misty snapped from above. Gary shook his head.

"Yeah, they aren't anything. Yet. But!" He pointed his finger at Misty "only because he's dense as lead, and you won't come out and say anything."

"There's nothing to say."

"Don't try that shit with me Misty. You're both my friends, and I'm tired of watching you guys tear each other apart with sexual tension. Or did you think I didn't notice that they weren't just arguments?"

"You...I... shut up!"

"Don't worry Misty, I'll help you confess! The first thing to do is sneak in to his room before he gets back and light some candles, then you..."

"Shut up! Not listening!"

"...dressed entirely in Saran wrap! Pull out the lubricant and-"

The next kick caught Gary in the side of the head.

"So," Brock mused as Gary regained consciousness "I guess that means that you two aren't dating?"

"Us two?" Asked Misty, confused.

"You and Gary. Everyone at school thinks you two are- what's so funny?"

"Sorry Brock, but that's a total rumour. Gary's great but-"

"I'm not Ash." Gary stated plainly from his position on the ground. "And for Misty, that's an automatic out."

"Do you want me to kick you again?"

"No thanks! If I've learned one thing from Ashy-boy, it's that pissing off Misty Waterflower is-"

* * *

><p>"-a bad idea!" called Zoey, doing her best not to smack May upside the head. The girl was a great companion and smart as hell- when she was full. May had the same reactions to food as boys did to May- any inherent intelligence seemed to depart and instinct took over.<p>

"Oh relax Zoey. A little bit of honey isn't going to hurt us!"

"No, but whatever built this hive might."

"Are you scared of a few honey bees?"

"May, this thing is enormous. I don't think that 'a few honey bees' built it."

"Well then help me look so we can be out of here faster. Where would you put honey if you were a bee?"

"_Far away from you." _Thought Zoey, but resisted the temptation to say it out loud.

"Maybe it's over here... whoops!"

Engrossed in her search for succulent sustenance, May had accidently put her arm through one of the papery walls of the hive.

"May!"

"Sorry! Could you pull me- wait, what's that noise?"

"Noise? You mean the deep, thrumming, pissed-off, buzzing noise? Probably nothing May. Certainly we shouldn't be afraid if it's just a few honey bees." Retorted Zoey, pulling on May's arm with increasing desperation. With the extra application of force, May's arm popped out of the hole and the two girls tumbled to the ground. Rolling over and sitting up, they fell to arguing until a certain dreaded buzzing caught their attention.

"Is that getting louder?"

"Yeah... and it sounds like-"

Zoey was cut off as an entire swarm of black and yellow pain rushed out of the hive and massed above their heads.

"Beedrill! Run!"

And run they did, traversing the jungle as fast as they could. It was a difficult course, but as they fled they still managed to find time to argue:

"May, you idiot!"

"Sorry!"

"You'd better be! This is-"

* * *

><p>"Ridiculous!" Yelled Riley, slamming his hand on the table. The figures assembled in front of him moved back in surprise- it was rare to see him this serious, or this angry.<p>

The meeting that Riley was currently engaged in was the type of meeting that had never happened once it was finished. The people attending had never been there, none of them knew a man named "Riley", and mystical forces such as aura were most definitely not discussed. That was their story and they would theoretically maintain it even through torture- a theory that had been tested an unfortunate number of times over the centuries.

They were not a council of senior aura guardians, and they were not here at Riley's request to discuss the future of existence. But since they were a council of senior aura guardians here at Riley's request to discuss the future of existence, it was a shame that they were refusing to listen to him.

"Guardian Gen," began the figure on the far left, a woman "no one here denies your experience or your years of service to our organization. But this does not make you an expert in our lore, nor does it lend you the credentials to announce the prophecies have come to fruition."

"Especially not via some puling Kanto orphan." Sneered a figure in the center, this one a male. The woman glared at him, distaste evident, but decided to ignore the interruption.

"The boy's powers were noted on a routine sweep years ago. It was decided that his mental instability and rudimentary control over his emotions invalidated him as a candidate. I have no reason to believe things have changed. We will not accept him for training."

"You haven't got a choice!" Riley snarled, angered. "Do you have any idea how powerful this boy could be? He learned the basic training in little over a month. A month! It took me nearly two years, and I know it took you people a lot longer. Even if you don't believe he's The One, even if you don't believe in the prophecies, then you still can't ignore him! He's too bloody strong! If we don't take him for training then _they_ certainly will."

The figures shifted uncomfortably.

"Them? You have evidence that he's made contact with one of the-"

Riley made a dismissive motion. "All circumstantial. Maybe he has, maybe he hasn't. But if he did, they're certain to remember him. Even if he didn't, they're always looking for thralls. If they stumble upon him, they'll take him, all because you refused to teach him how to defend himself."

The figure in the center, the oldest guardian present, raised his hand, appealing for calm.

"Riley." He spoke softly "The concern you show for this boy is admirable. But he is just that- a boy. A powerful one maybe, but not irreplaceable. And while your faith in the old ways is good to see, the tale of The One has always been contentious. There is little reason to believe it is anything more than a metaphor. We have spoken. The boy will not be trained. But since you seem to have enough time on your hands for training, we have prepared a list of excellent young candidates." With this he gestured to another figure, who handed Riley a sheaf of papers. "Please select someone who has proven themselves as opposed to a piece of trash you found in the gutter."

There was some muted laughter from one or two of the people present, although most stayed silent. Riley picked up the sheaf of papers and, without looking at it, tore it in two. The eldest guardian sighed.

"You have seen much for one your age, Guardian Gen, but your lack of respect for authority does you discredit."

Riley didn't even bother turning around as he exited. "Maybe that's because I don't see any authority worth respecting."

The night air was much cooler than the stuffy confines of the meeting hall, and Riley took a few seconds just to breathe it in and try to calm down. It didn't help much, but at least he didn't feel like punching somebody now. He then gestured to a group of Lucario who were sitting nearby.

"Zydanya, we're leaving."

_("Very well.")_

She rose and stalked over to her master. The two of them departed.

_("How did it go?")_

"About how we thought it would. 'The boy is unstable, you're wasting your time, we have better candidates, etcetera.' Plus they threw in some personal insults."

_("You intend to train him anyway.")_

"Yes. But it will be dangerous. I had hoped they would give him some protection, but now he- and by extension we- are going to be completely exposed. Do you want me to send your son elsewhere? I can find another Riolu for Ash."

_("My son will be an amazing warrior, as his father was. He will not accept anything less than the greatest of challenges. This is fate, master. He will stand by Ash through what is to come, as I will stand by you.")_

Riley sighed. "Very well old friend. Together once more unto the breach?"

Zydanya smiled, a rarity for her. _("Relax master. Everything will be alright.")_

* * *

><p><em>("I don't think everything's going to be alright.") <em>Muttered Ho-Oh, flapping his wings.

_("And why is that?") _replied Lugia, roosting next to his friend.

_("You heard the aura-humans. They barely believe anymore. The darkness is growing, our allies are dwindling and your so called champion is little more than a boy with a chip on his shoulder. How could you possibly believe things are going to be okay?")_

Lugia rolled his eyes. Ho-Oh was a good being, a faithful friend, and an excellent fighter. He just refused to see the value of subtlety.

_("Firstly, he's your champion too, so don't be so quick to put him down.")_

_("What do you mean, mine?") _replied Ho-Oh, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

_("Did you really think I didn't know? You revealed yourself to him when he was a child. Saved his life, most likely.")_

_("But that was before we knew he was The One!")_

_("So... you saved him before you knew he was vitally important to the continued existence of life as we know it? That's your excuse?")_

_("Alright, fine. It's stupid, I know. But what if he fails?")_

_("He won't fail.")_

_("How can you be sure?")_

_("He's proven himself once already. He fought Baal and won.")_

_("Baal? That overgrown termite?")_

_("Spider.")_

_("Same thing! You should have killed it years ago- I mean, they are your islands.")_

_("No. That would constitute interference. We can help the boy occasionally, but we cannot interfere. He must learn to fight alone if we are to have any hope.")_

_("He won't last, Lugia. He isn't strong enough- nobody is. I want him to succeed as much as anyone else, but mortals simply can't stand up to this. It will tear his mind apart.")_

_("He is stronger than you might believe, bird of flames.") _came a voice from the shadows.

Lugia and Ho-Oh turned to face the new speaker. Unbeknownst to them, a dark presence had arrived. The two birds shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't as if he were evil, exactly, it was just that nobody really liked him except Cresselia.

_("Darkrai.")_ greeted Lugia _("It is good to see you. But why-")_

_("What are you doing here?") _demanded Ho-Oh.

_("The boy walks a dark path. I have as much claim on him as any, and I long for his survival as well. I am more used to working alone, but these are desperate days. I think we may need each other before this is done.")_

Ho-Oh made a disgruntled noise, but Lugia nudged him and then nodded to the spectre.

_("Very well. He walks within my territory currently, but I am very limited in what aid I can give him. What have you been able to find out?")_

_("From his waking mind, almost nothing. He is oddly resistant to my probing. When he drifts beyond the conscious veil, however...")_

_("Dreams? You've been invading his dreams?") _burst out Ho-Oh, offended.

_("I invaded nothing. All things dance with me in dreams.")_

_("It still seems a bit... impolite.") commented Lugia._

_("Nevertheless. My influence was minimal at any rate- his mind is beholden to another.")_

_("Yes.") _sighed Lugia. _("The Kaelus beast. You know, sometimes I could swear that random chance has a sense of humour. I'm sure Aaron would have laughed his ass off if he had known.")_

_("He is beginning to remember.")_

_("What! How much?")_

_("Most of it. Luckily he forgets again when he wakes, but it's still beginning to permeate his conscious mind. I'm trying to suppress what memories of his I can, but...")_

_("It's too soon! If he remembers what he is before he realizes why he needs to fight...")_

_("Then we lose everything. But there is hope. I was not just talking about the period when he was young, I meant that he was starting to remember the before-times. He already dreams of the first two girls.")_

_("That... could help. They center him. They keep him whole.")_

_("They're also vulnerable.") _Said Ho-Oh.

_("You're point being? This entire plan hangs by a thread, but it will succeed. It must.")_

Ho-Oh sighed, but didn't contradict Lugia. He did, however, make one last attempt to dissuade him.

_("Father will be pissed.")_

_("What Arceus doesn't know won't hurt him.")_

_("Wait. What do you mean, 'doesn't know'? You did tell him what we're doing, didn't you?")_

Lugia grinned.

_("What do you-")_

* * *

><p>"-think?" asked Zoey, giggling slightly.<p>

Night had fallen on the island, and the three travellers had agreed that the building of a raft could wait until tomorrow. After eating dinner Ash and Pikachu had retired to their tent and basically collapsed. It was the first chance the two girls had had to be alone since meeting him, and Zoey intended to make the most of it by teasing May relentlessly.

"What do I think of what?" Asked May, brushing out her light brown hair.

"What do you think of our new companion, the incomparable Ash of Pallet?"

"Mmmm... he seems nice enough. Kind of guarded though."

"Cute, huh?"

"Zoey!"

"Oh come on, May. He is, at least a little bit."

"He's got nice eyes. I just wish he'd get a haircut, maybe some new clothes... well, you know men. Get them outside a city and they think that they can look any way they want."

"Eyes? It wasn't his eyes you were staring at..." teased Zoey, grinning all the while.

"Oh my Arceus, would you shut up? It isn't like that. I just met him!"

"Fine. But you have to admit he's kind of cute in a rough sort of way."

"Alright, I'll admit that. Hey, once we beat this test I bet I can get him to wear something that didn't come out of a donation bin."

"Sucker's bet. Just pout a little, wink, and odds are he'll wear anything you want."

The two girls burst into slightly muffled laughter, trying not to wake the boy in the next tent.

"He's definitely a man at least, even if he is short. That puts him way ahead of my last boyfriend."

"Why, what did he do?"

"Cheated on me."

"So? Most guys-"

"With other men."

"Ah. That must have been an... interesting relationship."

"Yeah, Drew was never really honest with anybody, himself included. I mean, sensitive guys are great, but I draw the line when they start borrowing my lipstick."

The two girls looked at each other for a moment, and then simultaneously-

* * *

><p>-burst out into laughter.<p>

"No!" chuckled Gary "No, I'm serious! He actually said that!"

Brock laughed harder. Misty flushed a dark red and refused to look the other two in the eyes. The three of them had settled down for the night, and Gary was amusing Brock with anecdotes at Misty's expense.

"Okay." Gasped Brock, finally calming down. "One more."

"No!" shouted the embarrassed redhead.

"Yes! Come on, one more Ash and Misty story and then we'll go to bed."

"Alright!" Exclaimed Gary, cracking his knuckles. Misty just groaned and held her head in her hands.

"This happened about a year ago. Misty had to get dressed up for... something, I can't remember what-"

"It was my cousin's wedding, and do you have to tell him this?"

"Yes. Anyway, Misty was in full wedding mode- you know, dress, make-up, everything, right?"

"Uh huh."

"So she's going to take the opportunity to say hi to her family while she's in Cerulean, and she'll be gone for a few days. Therefore she decides to say goodbye to us before she goes."

"Yeah?"

"Big mistake."

"Why?"

"Well, she comes up to us fully made up. We talk for a while, she tells us where she's going, gives us both a hug and leaves, right? Four days later she comes back."

"So?"

"So when she comes back, Ash asks her where she's been. Misty, a little confused, reminds him that she was at a wedding in Cerulean and that she told him before she left. And do you know what Ash says?"

"What?"

"He turns to me and says: 'Hey, do you think that girl we met and Misty went to the same wedding?'"

"You mean he-"

"Yeah, he had no idea it was Misty! But that's not the best part. By this point, Ash was confused and Misty was seething, right? So I go up to Ash and whisper into his ear that the girl was Misty. Now, to get himself out of trouble all he has to do is tell her she was so beautiful that he didn't recognize her, right?"

"Yeah..."

"That's not what he does. He manages, in fact to come up with the worst possible response."

"What? What did he say?"

"He blurts out: 'You mean she cross dresses?'"

Brock just stared at Gary, his...eyes... bulging. He then collapsed in laughter, falling off the log he had been sitting on.

"Ha! Are they always like that? It's better than cable!"

"Yeah, the Ash and Misty Love thing leads to some pretty funny stuff-" Gary cut himself off, becoming aware of the look Misty was giving him. "Oh come on Misty, don't be like that."

She crossed her arms and sniffed. "It isn't funny."

"Alright, I'm sorry. You know Ash does it on purpose because he cares for you, right? You do the same stuff to him."

Misty sighed. "I know, I just... well, remember we were fighting right before this test started? What if we never get the chance to say sorry?"

Gary looked at her quizzically. "You're worried, aren't you?"

"These tests are dangerous Gary. He's been using Ki for what, a few weeks?"

"He's a survivor Misty. He'll be fine."

Misty shrugged and looked away. Gary clasped her shoulder gently.

"Come on, we should get some rest. It's-"

* * *

><p>-dark.<p>

Not that Kaelus usually had a problem with the dark. It was comforting and familiar. But this was not a darkness of his own making. No, these shadows belonged solely to Baal.

Baal the extremely crotchety carnivore. Baal who was looking for them while the boy slept.

Kaelus sighed. Humans were so damnably fragile! Ash was going to be eaten soon, so why would he not waken? Sure his body was shattered, but what did pain matter? Life and death mattered, power mattered, but pain was merely an annoying distraction.

But Kaelus supposed it was for the best. The boy might not be able to control aura externally yet, but his monstrously powerful inherent aura was already busy at work knitting his bones and reinforcing his bruised muscles. Hopefully he would be able to escape before Baal ever showed his hideous face. And if not, then the boy was going to learn a brutal lesson very quickly. Either way, at least he wouldn't-

* * *

><p>"-starve to death, May. You know that. At least it was quick." Zoey sighed.<p>

It was not a good day. The weather was perfect, with bright sunlight beating down upon azure waves, but the joy that normally accompanied such days was conspicuously absent. The girls could not enjoy the beauteous weather because they were too aware of who they were not enjoying it with.

"We should have stayed longer." May muttered, refusing to meet Zoey's eyes. The Sinnoh native threw her arm around her companion's shoulders and tried again to get through to her.

"May, please, we've been over this. We searched for an entire day and we didn't find anything- not a thing. No clothes, no pack, no prints... May, he's gone. I know it's sad, but he's dead! Okay? You didn't abandon him!"

"He isn't dead!" screamed May, throwing Zoey's arm off of her. "We have to go back and-" May slumped. "Fuck. Who am I kidding? He's really gone isn't he?"

Tears pricked at Zoey's eyes, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "Yeah. He really is. The rapids got him for sure."

May let out a bitter laugh. "You know the last thing I said to him? I mean, actually said _to_ him, not the stuff I was screaming when we fell."

"May..."

"I called him a coward. Remember that? I called him a coward for worrying that the bridge was going to collapse. I guess telling his friends I'm sorry won't fucking cut it, huh?"

May burst into sobs, and Zoey tried ineffectually to comfort the bereaved girl.

"May, the last thing he said to you was a comment about your weight. People say stupid shit when they're hurt. We both know neither of you meant it."

But Zoey's words failed to ebb the flow of May's grief. She doubted that the girl had even heard her, as May-

* * *

><p>-clutched her head in her hands and continued to weep. Piplup nuzzled his head against her chest, attempting to cheer up his trainer, but not even he could bring her out of her misery. For four days, four glorious days she'd been free of that bastard. And now she was back and it was worse than before.<p>

After quite some time, the girl with the midnight blue hair fell back on her bed, exhausted. She wasn't finished with her sadness, not by a long shot, but for the time she had run out of tears. She needed to get going anyway- he would expect her shortly, and if she showed up looking like this he'd throw a fit. He wouldn't do it immediately- no, if she showed up with obvious signs of having cried and they were in front of other people he would be the sweetest, most comforting man on earth. But she would pay for it later once he got her alone.

Slowly, mechanically, she began the meaningless ritual of becoming presentable. Eye-drops for reddened eyes, clonazapam for nerves. Take off ruined make-up, put on a fresh coat of lies. She was beautiful. Perfect.

Isolated. Unlovable.

Carefully she picked up all her useless emotions and threw them away. It hurt- every time she had to do it it felt like she was tearing up another piece of herself- but it was necessary to survive. She had to be cold, had to be ruthless. He wouldn't accept anything less.

Piplup tugged at her legs, but she ignored it. That bastard had already accused her of weakness for not evolving her little penguin, and if he found out how much she loved the little guy... in the best case scenario he would kill it. She didn't even want to think about the worst case scenario.

She walked to the door of her hotel room, placing her hand on the knob and resting her head against the frame. She hesitated, too scared to leave the safety of her hotel room but too aware of the consequences to go back to bed. She took a deep breath.

"_You can do this. You can-"_

* * *

><p>"-stop now Misty." Sighed Gary, growing tired of her endless pacing. She and Brock had come to Gary's room with the intent of discussing strategy, but the session had quickly dissolved due to Misty's nerves.<p>

"It's been a week since the test started Gary! Where the hell is he?"

"I don't know. Holed up in a cave somewhere cutting his wrists and writing bad poetry?"

Misty rounded on him.

"How can you joke at a time like this? Aren't you worried?"

Gary sighed. "Of course I'm worried. That's why I joke. But there isn't anything I can for him from here, and he still has another three days before the time limit expires. Do you really think he'd be happy if he knew you were wearing a hole in the carpet?"

Misty glared, but quit the pacing and flopped down on the bed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just... I can't help but think something's gone wrong."

"It's okay." Brock piped up. "People are natural worriers. We tend to-"

A sudden knock on the door interrupted them. Gary glanced at the other two, curious to see if they were expecting anyone. They just shrugged, so he got to his feet and answered the door. He was half expecting it to be Ash at the threshold, and was therefore surprised when he saw the two girls at the door. Two young, attractive girls.

"Ladies!" He grinned, the Gary genes switching on and leaving little room for worry, "how can I help such lovely- is something wrong?"

Something certainly seemed to be wrong. Pretty though they were, they looked... distraught. Haunted. The taller of the two girls cleared her throat.

"My name is Zoey and this is May... are you Gary?"

"I am indeed. Is there a problem?"

Zoey chose not to answer. "And is there a Misty here?"

"Yes, she's here... why don't you come in?"

The two girls nodded and shuffled in. Brock and Misty regarded them curiously, waiting to find out why they were here.

"We, uh," began Zoey, awkwardly "we were doing our test when we ran into this guy called Ash, and we travelled with him-"

"Ash!" beamed Misty, standing up. "Where is he?"

Zoey looked down, too scared to speak the truth. May spoke up for the first time, her voice hoarse with grief.

"He didn't make it." She said quietly.

"He... he what?" Asked Misty, her expression freezing. Zoey handed Gary Ash's belt, while May tried to speak. Finally she got her words out past the tears.

"He wanted... he wanted you to know he was-"

* * *

><p>"-sorry I ever took this fucking test!" Ash shouted, spitting out a mouthful of seawater. Feebas ignored him, placidly swimming on towards their goal.<p>

_Oh, come now Ash. Swimming is good for the cardiovascular system!_

"Says the guy that hasn't got a cardiovascular system! Shit, I think my leg's gone-"

* * *

><p>Numb.<p>

It was a word Gary had gotten used to over the past three days. He wanted to cry, or hurt, or scream, but he just couldn't. He was numb.

At least Misty had May. That was something. Misty had never been open about her more gentle emotions, instead tending to hide them under a guise of barely-restrained anger. On her own the girl might have just broken at the news of Ash's death, but May had made things easier for both of them. She got Misty to talk, gave her someone she could reveal her grief to. The girls had been leaning on each other for the last three days.

Gary took a deep breath and forced himself to pay attention to the man on the podium. They had come to this meeting to move on, damn it all- Misty, May, Zoey, Brock and him needed to focus on the tests to come or else there would be more deaths. Gary found it very hard to focus with his best friend's corpse rotting under a mountain somewhere, but he made himself listen to the time postings anyway. It was info he would need in the next few days.

"-this year a record for the worst time ever to pass, at a staggering nine days, twenty-three hours, fifty-two minutes and forty-nine seconds. Ash Ketchum, if you're even in the crowd, what did you do, crawl here?"

Gary's jaw dropped. No goddamned way.

But then there came the voice from the back of the room. Gary had heard that voice so many times- angry, defensive, but still familiar and comforting- that there was no mistaking it.

"I took the scenic route, asshole!"

Gary grinned as Misty and May's heads practically snapped around trying to find the source of the voice. The speaker said something else, but Gary doubted the girls heard him. Already they were up and racing through the crowd, looking for-

There he was.

Limping, bleeding and covered in some kind of slime, but blatantly, impossibly alive.

"Uhhhh... hey guys."

"Ash... how..." Gary sputtered.

"Well I'd love to fill everyone in, but I need to grab my fish. Bye!"

He might have evaded death for now, but there was no escape for him this time. Gary laughed as both Misty and May reached out and grabbed Ash by the shoulder.

Whatever happened next, it was going to be fun to watch.

* * *

><p><strong>I have recently noticed that is dropping words out of my fics. I hope if you see an example of said error, you will give me the benefit of the doubt. I'm trying to locate all the dropped words, but I find re-reading my own work onerous.<strong>

**I also hope nobody minds the transitional nature of this chapter and the next. Ash is currently leaving the phase in which he sets up and prepares, and is entering the phase where he must begin to fight his enemies and confront various issues. The entire story is at a turning point, and it may take a chapter or two to get it moving again.**

**Humorous side note: I was recently favourited by someone (I won't name names because I don't want to single them out) who had something called "The 27 Commandments of Fanfiction" on their profile page. What I find funny is that they favourited me despite the fact I toe the line with commandments five, six and seventeen and I completely violate commandments nine, fifteen, sixteen, nineteen and twenty-one. In fact, this author's note right here violates commandment eleven. Anyway, thanks for the favourite (I'm not trying to mock you, I really thought it was funny).**


	14. Chapter 14: A Ship of Fools

**Good evening readers. Normally I try and say something witty in my author's note, but I'm too bloody tired. Here. New chapter. Enjoy.**

**NOTE! THIS CHAPTER WAS PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CHAPTER 13! IF YOU ARE READING THIS FIRST, YOU HAVE SKIPPED A CHAPTER!**

* * *

><p><strong>14-A Ship of Fools<strong>

"_**I'm not like you Gary! Don't you get that? I don't have 'sexual needs', I don't have 'commitment issues' or 'emotional trauma' or any of that other soap opera crap! All I have is this big black hole in my head that keeps telling me I'm not good enough!"**_

_**-Ash Ketchum arguing with Gary Oak over the nature of relationships**_

Can any man truly understand the female mind? Like most men, I had deluded myself into believing I could. I often said I didn't understand girls, but it was just one of those lies we often tell ourselves. Sure I understood girls! They were just like guys except cleaner and with more interesting bits, right?

Ha ha... Fuck I'm stupid.

Misty I might have been able to pass off as the exception that proves the rule. On the surface of things it might appear as if she were similar to us male animals (albeit with increasingly developing curves) but I was aware that Misty had hidden depths that made her different. Her blunt and abrasive demeanour aside, she always acted with a sort of pure-hearted kindness that I wish I could have emulated. There was also strength in the girl, a type I could never figure out. Just when everyone else was ready to back down and give up, Misty would raise her head and keep fighting. I was never able to reconcile her softer, hidden side with the steel in her backbone. And there was also her hold on me. The way she could make me feel like the strongest man on earth or the lowest of the low with merely a smile or a gesture.

But Misty wasn't a 'girl', right? She was a friend. I still understood girls.

Fuck. Still stupid.

If I'd had any delusions as to whether or not I understood women, then May had destroyed them quite adequately. When the girls had grabbed me by the shoulders I could practically feel the anger in their touch, and I knew I was in trouble. I had underestimated, however, exactly how much trouble.

"... have _any_ idea how worried we..."

"...bridge? You jumped off a bloody bridge? You could have been killed you idiot! How..."

"Girls, look I-" I attempt to make myself heard, but to no avail.

"SHUT IT!" They roar simultaneously. Well, at least I got them to stop interrupting each other.

Gary, although obviously entertained by my predicament, decides to butt in and help. "Ladies, I hate to interrupt but I think he needs some medicine. Or possibly a lot of alcohol. Why don't we start with a doctor and work our way up?"

I almost sag with relief. Finally an out!

"Right! Uh, wounded warrior here, need to go. So I'll see you later?"

Alas, it was not to be. My beloved loophole turned out to be a pitfall as Misty shifts her grip from my right shoulder to my right arm and May follows suit on my left.

"But you're new to the island, right Ash?" queries Misty, the fury in her eyes belying her calm tone.

"Yeah!" says May, far more sweetly than Misty but equally as devious. "You need a guide to find the doctor's! Someone who'll take care of you. Someone-"

"Like us." Finishes Misty. Both girls proceed to drag me out of the room backwards. Desperately I begin to look for help. Brock is out of the picture (once he made sure I was okay he left to hit on some girl) leaving me only one option.

"Gary! A little help?"

Of course, it's just my luck that Zoey decides to start in on the fun. She grabs Gary's arm and waves at me. "Sorry Ash, he's busy! Have fun at the doctor's!"

I did not.

I did not have fun when the girls dragged me through the street looking for the hospital (which was thankfully free to contestants). I did not have fun when they decided to come in with me without even asking. I did not have fun when Misty wrote down everything the doctor said was wrong with me so that she could yell at me for them individually later, or when May grabbed my pills so that she could make sure I took them. I did have a little bit of fun when the girls offered to rub the cream that the doctor had given me for bruising on my back (who wouldn't?) but overall it was not fun in any way. I was vaguely aware that they were punishing me for something, but at that point I was too tired to try and figure out what.

Yeah, I've got a great grip on the female psyche. Sure.

Anyway, despite the... intransigent nature with which they ensured my health, I can't deny that their methods were effective. Three hours after I hit the island, I was lying in a comfy hotel room, freshly showered, and eating the fast food that Misty had picked up on our way back. Gary, Zoey and Brock had even managed to get Feebas back from Nurse Joy, who had agreed to lend me a fish tank for the duration of my stay. I lay back on the bed, eating what was some kind of sub and reading the info from the meeting earlier. Pikachu and Eevee had each claimed one of my sides, while Riolu lay on my head and pretended he could read. Feebas reclined in the tank on the bedside table.

_("What does that word say?")_

"It's 'The'"

_("And that one?")_

"That's a page number."

Riolu finds this hilarious, giggling away in his oddly high pitched laughter. Pikachu just snorts, and he and Eevee dig further into my chest.

"Ow! When did you guys get so clingy?"

_("Ever since you died on us. Again.")_ retorts Pikachu, flicking an ear in my direction. _("Now shut up and be a good space heater. If you have energy to waste on talking, you could pass me down some of that sub.")_

I hold out the food, and he nibbles on it. "So Gary told you guys, huh? Did he see Riolu?"

_("Nah. He was too shell-shocked to wonder why there were three pokeballs.")_

"Good." I say, pushing the sub in Eevee's direction.

_("What's the point in keeping him secret if you aren't going to use him?")_

"I'm going to use him. Soon. Did you see the paper?"

_("Saw it, yeah. Read it, no. You humans don't tend to write in Pikachu.")_

"Long story short, we have some time off but the next test is a three on three pokemon battle. We need to get some training in."

Riolu perks up at the thought of a battle. _("Can I fight? Can I?")_

"Well, considering how I only have three of you, I would say yes."

_("Three of us? What about her?") _asks Pikachu, pointing at Feebas.

"Uh... her? It's a she?"

_("You got a problem with that?")_

"No! She's very... uh, very pretty. But she's just here temporarily. She gave me a lift, but I didn't really catch her.

"Basssss! Feebasssss."

_("She says she wants to stay if it's all the same to you. She says you seem like a nice guy for a human.")_

"Thanks. I guess."

_("She also says you're cute.")_

"Moving right along!" I snap, glaring at Pikachu. "We should get some training in. We haven't really done much together since we left Riley, and I don't want to get rusty. Besides, I'm still not used to Riolu and I haven't used Feebas at all. There isn't a lot of cohesion on Team Ash."

_("Team Ash? What are you, twelve? We should be called Team Pikachu.")_

"Feebas!"

"Veee!"

"Those are terrible names! Besides, I am the founder and longest standing member of this outfit. We should name it after me."

_("Awesome!") _yells Riolu from on top of my head. _("So we're gonna be Team Virgin?")_

I had a comeback to that. Sure I did. I just didn't give one because at that moment there was a knock at the door. I glared at Riolu, passed him the remnants of the sub, and told him to get under the bed. Once he was safely hidden, I yelled "Come in!" in the direction of the door. Misty and May walked in, followed by an extremely bemused Gary and Zoey. Brock brings up the rear clutching his stomach.

"What the hell's wrong with him?"

"Let's just say that the Nurse Joys here are a little bit more direct about rejection."

"Ughhh..." whimpers Brock. "I didn't know they even made steel-toed high heels!"

"You realize that most guys don't need protective clothing to ask for a date, right?"

_("Says the captain of Team Virgin.") _muttered Pikachu.

"Shut it, rat." I whisper as I push him off of me and sit up on my bed. "What's up guys?"

"We got your luggage." Replies Gary, dropping my solitary bag on the floor by my bed. "The guy at customs said they'd never seen so many weapons crammed into a single bag."

"No problems?"

"Not with your shit. Misty got delayed for two hours over a pair of nail clippers though."

"Unsurprising. Remember that guy who tried to abduct her? Remember what she did with the curling iron?"

"Rudy? Yeah, I bet he still can't walk properly." Gary winces a little at the memory, but I had thought it was hilarious. After what he'd tried to do to her, he was lucky Misty didn't take my suggestion of turning the thing on once she'd... let's not go there. Zoey, however, doesn't know enough to avoid the topic under discussion.

"What did Misty do?" She asks, curiously.

"I dealt with a problem. That's all." Misty answers quickly, trying to prevent me from answering. I grin.

"Yeah, she nipped it in the bud." Misty glares at me, and I let my grin get wider. "Sorry Misty. I should butt out shouldn't I?"

She refrains from answering, opting instead to change the subject. "Actually Ash, there is another reason we're here. May feels that we might have been a bit harsh earlier, so..." Misty trails off and she and Zoey push May forward towards me. May stands there looking embarrassed, staring at the floor and rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"Well, I just... um... about the fight and the bridge, I just... oh, screw it."

May launches herself forward, shoving her head into my chest and latching her arms around my back.

"Thanks for saving me. And I'm really sorry about the fight, I didn't mean to be so... anyway, I'm sorry."

I just sit there shocked for a few seconds. Finally Misty's glare (Misty had extremely expressive eyes and the "Comfort her or else" look I was getting now put chills down my spine) got me moving again, and I awkwardly returned the hug.

"Uh, hey... no, I mean... uh, I was being a dick, so you don't really have to-"

"No, I mean it. I shouldn't have pushed you and I'm sorry. Thank you for saving my life."

I give up trying to understand and just lean into the hug. I wasn't really used to much physical contact, but it was fairly comforting. Besides, May was warm and she smelled nice. That might not mean much to you, but I take what I can get.

May releases first, and backs up to rejoin Zoey. She's a bit flushed, for which I can't really blame her. We've only known each other for a few days, and I guess hugging someone who was still kind of a stranger was embarrassing. There's an awkward silence which I decide to break by approaching Misty.

"So." I say, opening my arms slightly. "Are you still pissed, or...?"

She frowns, deeply, but it isn't hard to tell that her stubborn nature is wavering. At least, not if you know her. Finally she steps forward and hugs me as well.

"Fine. I'm glad you're safe. Idiot."

I don't mind the insult. She laughs as she said it, and it's just her way of letting me know she missed me. I step back from the hug, a small smile on my face. Both Misty and May return the smile with ones of their own. It's a nice moment.

Until Gary ruins it.

He comes up behind me, claps me on the back, and says: "Congratulations Ash! You're finally going to have your first threesome! I remember my first-"

"Eevee!" I yell, and point at Gary. "Maul!"

My quick brown fox jumped over my lazy rat and landed on Gary's chest, where he immediately began to head-butt him. Gary goes down under Eevee's (harmless, I assure you- Eevee wouldn't actually hurt him) assault.

"Not the face! Anywhere but the face!"

I sigh and turn back to the other four. "Hello to you too Brock and Zoey. I think that hug time is over, but it's nice to see you guys again."

"Likewise." Says Zoey, smiling. "You and your friends seem... interesting. At least May and I won't get bored."

"You don't know the half of it." Brock tells her. "I've known them for two weeks now and they never shut up."

"Technically incorrect Brock!" Gary exclaims, grabbing Eevee by the middle and standing up. "Misty never shuts up. Ash does shut up, but only when one condition is met."

"Which is?"

"When we stuff his Ash-hole with food. Which, I should point out, is why we're here. Are you coming to dinner Ash? The hotel has a restaurant downstairs."

"Uhhh... maybe another-" I try to excuse myself but May isn't going to put up with it. She grabs my upper arm and pulls it into her chest, lighting up the room with another of her blindingly bright smiles.

"Don't be silly Ash! A single sub isn't going to sate a growing boy, especially one who uses up his energy rescuing damsels in distress! Come on guys, let's go!"

May flutters her eyelashes at me and gently leads me out of the room. I follow her, mouth agape and mind floundering. If she had been trying to confuse me she had succeeded admirably. I had elicited a wide variety of reactions from the female portion of the species but suggestive docility was a new one on me. Wait... if she was so docile then why was she the one leading me?

"Uh... you- damsels in distress?"

"Misty and I! See, she told me about the car incident. I knew you were a hero!"

"I am not a damsel in distress!" Misty shouted at me. She had hurried to catch us up, and currently held my other arm in a vice-grip.

"I never said you were- can I please go somewhere without the two of you dragging me?"

"Nope." They comment simultaneously. There's no ire in their voices, they speak flatly as if stating a fact. I sigh and let them guide me to the dining room. It isn't really that much of a burden anyway. You can call me a stupid, hormone ridden teenager if you like, but there's something about the scent of Misty's shampoo hovering off to my right and the squishy warmth of May on my left that makes the bad thoughts go away.

For a little while at least. I'll take it. It beats the hell out of rotting in Baal's mausoleum. Misty and May look at me strangely as an involuntary shudder passes up my spine.

"Something wrong Ash?"

I shake my head dismissively. "No. I'm just... enjoying where I'm not."

"Huh?"

"I'll tell you later." Or not. I don't think they'd believe I fought a giant talking spider, but if they did I'd have to scrape Misty off the ceiling. She never did like bugs. Arachnids. Whatever.

The girls take their seats but before I can find one of my own Gary grabs me by the arm.

"Ash, come help me get some food."

"I'm not really that hung-"

"Come on." He hisses, leading me away. "We need to talk."

We leave the girls and Brock chatting at the table as he and I make our way across the room. But instead of heading to the counters where the food is served, Gary turns the wrong way and exits out a side door. I follow him and we find ourselves outdoors. The islands tend to be warm in the daytime, but the sun has fallen and an early evening chill causes me to shiver slightly. I miss my jacket. It was a hardy piece of clothing, but Baal had torn it to shit and then covered it in ichor. It was irrecoverable.

Gary leans up against a wall and gestures aimlessly, indicating that I should do the same if I so wish. I decide to sit instead, lowering myself to the pavement and leaning my head against the wall opposite Gary.

"So what do you want?"

"It's a nice night." He shoots back. "The sky is clear, the stars are out... the moon looks a lot bigger from here than from back home."

"Get to the point."

"A very nice night for a mooning."

"Moon watching." I corrected.

"I know what I said."

"Gary, quit the stupid lead up. What do you want? I mean, you usually babble about stupid shit but this sounds like you're trying to lead into something."

He sighs. "Fine Ketchum, I'll get to the point. I know you don't want to do this, but we need to talk about you and Misty. And about what happened during that test."

"I don't know what-"

"Ash. Stop, okay? I don't get to talk to you alone very often anymore, and I dragged you out here because I need to be serious for a moment. So stop with the knee-jerk denial and just answer me: What is Misty to you?"

"She's a friend." I grate out.

"And May?"

"Also a friend."

"What kind of friend? Is she just a friend like me, or she a friend like Misty?"

"There's no difference!"

"Do not try that shit with me Ketchum. Everyone else might think your dense- hell, I've covered for you for years by telling Misty you were- but I've known you for too long to fall for that crap."

I groan and put my head in my hands.

"What do you want me to say Gary? Why are we even having this discussion?"

"Because I want to help you. When we were in Pallet I was content to sit back and let it happen, but things are changing now Ash. We thought you were dead. Misty thought you were dead. I'm not going to let the two of you ignore it any longer. Especially not now that you've got some hard choices coming up."

"I told you that I'm ready for whatever the tournament is going to throw at me."

"I wasn't talking about the fights. I was talking about May."

"May?" I ask, no longer in denial but genuinely curious. Gary levels a stare at me, eventually breaking it off and sighing.

"Okay, I guess you are a little bit dense. What would you say if I told you she was interested in you?"

"I would probably gape at you for a while. Then I might ask if you were fucking serious."

"She's friendly with you."

"So were a lot of girls. Then they find out what I am... what I used to be, anyway."

"She flirts."

"She's teasing."

"You saved her life."

"I'm an asshole."

"No argument here." He snorts. "Look, can we pretend that I'm right about both Misty and May? Just for a second?"

I nod warily. "Alright. Let's. If you're so right about this, then what was with that 'threesome' comment earlier? Shouldn't you be on Misty's side?"

"She's my friend Ash. But so are you, in case you forgot. What do you want?"

"I want Misty and May to go find someone who can make them happy. And I want to stop talking about this."

Gary shakes his head at my stubbornness, but attempts to press on anyway. "Fine. I'm not even going to argue Misty with you anymore, you know I'm right. Let's talk about May."

"Like you said, I saved her life. It was the stupidest rescue in history, but I did it. If you are picking up genuine signals from her then it's probably just a transient interest. She'll move on as soon as she realizes life isn't a fairly tail."

"Ordinarily I might agree with you. But two things indicate that you're wrong."

"I'm listening."

"The first is May herself. She might be naive, but she seems pretty certain about what she wants. She doesn't seem like the kind of girl who falls in love over nothing."

"And the second thing? Bearing in mind that if the 'L' word comes up again I'm leaving?"

"The second thing is... well, you tell me. It's you. You're weird."

"I've always been weird."

"No, differently weird."

"Thanks a bundle."

"I mean it! Something's up. You've known May for what, a few days? You two act like you've known each other for years. May told us about what happened during the test, and I'm amazed you didn't blow up at her before you did. Remember how you treated Brock when you first met him?"

"Well that's... I..."

"I wasn't finished. May is one thing; I guess I could put it down to instant attraction. But you've been acting weird around Misty too! I didn't notice at first because of all the shit that's been happening, but you've been getting a lot closer to her than you usually do. And look at Misty and May- normally Misty would kick the crap out of anyone who made a move on you. But the two of them are acting like old friends, despite the fact that each ones advances must be blindingly obvious to the other! So what the hell is wrong with you guys Ash? Puberty hits fast, but not overnight. Something is wrong. Something has changed."

I sit there and consider my options. How much can I tell him? Gary isn't stupid, and he'll know if I tell an obvious lie.

"Look." I say eventually "None of this gets told to anyone else, clear?"

"Agreed."

"Also I can't be specific. I'm sorry, but this just isn't something I can tell you the whole truth about. I'm keeping secrets that aren't mine."

Gary shifts a little, but agrees. "Alright."

"Okay. I... I might be in a bit of trouble."

"What kind?"

"The kind where bad people try to kill you. I don't even know exactly who I'm fighting, although I have a horrifying suspicion that I'll find out soon."

"Ah. That... sucks. Can I help?"

"No. Wait, yes. Can you watch the girls when I'm not there?"

"They're tied up in this?"

"Misty is for sure. I think May might be. There's... someone else too, but I don't know who yet."

"Zoey?" Gary asks sharply. I look up at him.

"No. I don't think so. Why her?"

He relaxes. "Uh, no reason. So what did you do to get yourself in such vague yet deadly trouble? Sell your soul to the devil?"

I think of Riley and laugh. "No, just one particularly devious imp. Now let's get that food before they give us up for dead, okay?"

* * *

><p>"Where the hell were you guys?" Misty grumps.<p>

"Sorry. Gary and I just had a fight over who ran the most influential school of Greek philosophy. Stupid bastard won't admit it was Xenophanes."

"Thales of Miletus!"

"Xenophanes!"

Misty rolls her eyes, unimpressed with our banter. "Can't you two even lie normally? If you don't want to say then just tell me you were in the bathroom or something."

"Alright, we were arguing about philosophy in the bathroom. What do you care? We brought food."

And that was that. Misty might have been willing to pursue it further but once May heard the word food, all bets were off. As soon as we set the platters of food down, she digs in. And when I say "digs in" I mean the kind of digging that usually requires an excavator and an entire team of demolition men. I sit down myself and matched her fork for fork. The others gather at the fringes of our gastronomic orgy, staring in wonder and awe.

Or possibly disgust. Their loss.

"Where does it all go?" Zoey asked, horrified.

"Well, Ash converts protein into sullen fury. On May it all goes to- Ow!"

"Gary!"

"I was going to say it goes to fuel her hyperactive personality!"

"Hmmph. Sorry."

"And her tits."

Smack!

"Ow!"

May and I slow down slightly out of respect for the others. She turns to me, curious.

"I thought you said you weren't hungry?"

"Uh... well, my appetite woke up." That wasn't the reason, but it was close enough to please May. Gary, knowing what was bothering me about dinner, had told me that it was free to contestants, and I would therefore not have to embarrass myself in front of May and Zoey by being unable to pay. I'll say this for Gary, he was a horny prick but he knew what made people tick.

"So what are everyone's plans for tomorrow?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Shopping!" The three girls cry in unison. I shiver a little at the thought, but try not to let it show.

"I'll be shopping too, in my own way." Brock states, his eyebrows arching suggestively. At least, I assume that they're eyebrows. They aren't technically above anything, but they're in the right place. "There are so many beautiful wo- I mean, goods for me to have s- uh, for me to buy."

"And you Gary?" He slumps, muttering something. "I can't hear you."

"He'll be shopping with us!" Zoey proclaims, smiling. I grin at Gary, and he glares at me.

"Why don't you come with us Ash?" He smirks, giving me a meaningful nod in Misty and May's direction.

"Can't!" I yelp out, before I'm roped in. "I can't. I need to find somewhere to train tomorrow."

"There are facilities provided that-"

"I need to find somewhere better to train. Somewhere Private."

"Are you sure you should be training already? You just got here and you're hurt!"

"Hey, there's no rest for the wicked."

"You aren't wicked Ash. Slightly nefarious at best."

"Well then I've got try even harder, don't I?"

* * *

><p>When I returned to my room Eevee and Pikachu were just finishing up with a game of 'throw the Riolu'. I stopped the game, told them that the current score (Pokemon: 0, Walls: 100) would have to stand, and made them get ready for bed. I stood in awe of the bathroom for a few minutes, still getting used to the fact that I don't have to share it. I then brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, my pokemon taking up the same positions they had assumed earlier. I turned off the light, closed my eyes, and drifted off into a pleasant-<p>

Fuck!

I snap my eyelids open, throw the covers off myself and begin to dig through my luggage. Pikachu, Eevee and Riolu, displaced and seriously pissed off, glare at me from the bed.

_("What the hell man!")_

"My phone! I need to find my phone!"

_("Yeah? Well you'll be hard put to talk to anyone when I shove thirty-thousand volts up your-")_

"No, don't you get it? I can ask Riley about that fucking spider!"

_("Spider?")_

"I'll fill you in tomorrow. Go back to bed, I'll be there shortly."

They shrug and go back to sleep. I sit there on the floor, waiting for Riley to answer. He had better have a damn good explanation.

The phone clicks, and I hear him answer: "You've reach Riley's Pokeblocks! Get your blocks off with Riley's-"

"No!" I scream into the phone. "Not again! No house of balls, no getting your blocks off! I don't want to hear about the size of your old rod! I want answers and I want them now dammit!"

"Heya kid! You sound uptight."

"Wow, really? What is it about nearly dying that makes you think homoerotic humour is an appropriate response?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood. Can you hold for a sec? I want to write down that one about the old rod. That was good."

"Hell no! You better have some bloody answers for me."

"Fine." He grumbled. "Mine's a super rod anyway. What's on your mind? Unless you're haunting my phone, I assume you survived the second test."

"Oh yes. I survived. I even passed, no thanks to you. Sensei, I know you said that I'd have to deal with hidden enemies. I'm okay with that. But a talking spider twenty feet long? Don't you think that maybe I deserved a little warning?"

"A talking...? Wait, where was this?"

"In the islands. Under this mountain actually. It was weird... it was darker than it should have been."

"Baal. Arceus above, you ran into Baal.

"So you did know about him!"

"Of course I knew. I just thought he was dead. Ash, I'm sorry. If the thing you saw was actually Baal, he must have been thousands of years old, maybe millions. The guardians all assumed he was gone- the last time we tangled with Baal was nearly three centuries ago. Are you hurt?"

"Nothing much. A few scrapes, bruises, that sort of things. The rapids hurt me a lot worse than the spider did."

"Rapids?"

I filled him in on what had happened since we last spoke. After I was done, he ruminated.

"This is... troubling. Damn. I had really hoped that they weren't involved this time."

"Who's they?"

"They. Them. The ones we fight. And if you ever come across another one, make sure you run away as fast as you can. Baal was ancient. The others will be stronger, faster and smarter. And they won't fear sunlight either."

"But who are they? Isn't it time you told me what this was about? It's my ass on the line here!"

"Yeah. I guess you're going to have to know. I'd hoped I could give you a few more years of peace, but... Okay. Do you remember what I said about the dark wars?"

"Huh?"

"Think back to the night we met. What did I say about the dark wars?"

"Uh... I said that it was fought between Aaron and some dark Ki users and... uh, aura was invented to explain the after effects of the war. You said I'd been lied to."

"Yes. I did. But I wasn't just talking about aura being invented. The dark Ki users from the north were not Ki users. They were aura users."

"Okay. Intriguing, but it doesn't really mean much now does it?"

"Yes it does. They're still around, and they still want a fight."

"So their descendants are going to attack the four regions again? That-"

"No. Not their descendants. Them. The ones from the original war."

"But they'd be long dead-"

"Ash. They weren't human."

* * *

><p><strong>Is this meant to be a cliffhanger, or was the HollowMan just too lazy to write more? You decide!<strong>

**As I said, I have some questions for those who care about where this story is going. They are threefold:**

**How is the pacing? Too fast? Too slow?**

**What should I do about sex in the fic? I'm obviously not going to write a graphic lemon between fifteen year-olds, but these characters are getting to the age (they will get older in this fic) where they think about sex. I'm not suggesting I have Ash bang the girls, I'm just curious as to how much importance I should place on the characters' natural urges. Obviously Brock and Gary will continue to be as perverted as they always have been.**

**How quickly should I bring in Dawn? We've seen a glimpse of her already, but I'm not convinced that Ash and May's relationship is well established enough to bring Dawn in yet.**

**I should also mention here that Lucas is going to be showing up soon, and he and Dawn are going to have a fucked up relationship. I may bring up themes such as abuse and suicide (no I'm not going to emo everyone up again, it's just a potential) and Lucas is going to be an absolute asshole. I'd just like to mention that he is an antagonist, and I personally do not practise or condone mistreatment of women, sadism, jingoism or homophobia. Don't worry guys, Lucas will get what's coming to him.**

**Please review. The more reviews I get, the guiltier I feel about playing Call of Duty when I should be writing.**

**PS- The 'Ship of Fools' is a common allegory in the western world. The joke here is that 'ship' is a fandom term for relationship. I'm sorry to explain that if you already understood it, but not everyone reads bulbapedia.**


	15. Chapter 15: Saving Private Riolu

**Ha! Thought you'd killed me, didn't you internet? No, I survived... and I'm back, bringing with me two new chapters of **_**Angel In The Machine**_** and three chapters of my new fic, **_**Old Wounds**_**.**

**NOTE TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE READ **_**ANGEL IN THE MACHINE**_**: Do not write to tell me **_**Old Wounds**_** is not as good/funny/long as my first fic. I already know. **_**Old Wounds**_** is something I write when I have no idea what to do with **_**Angel In the Machine**_**, and it helps me get past my blocks. Read it solely for your own interest, or if you're curious to see how writing one fic can help you generate ideas for another fic. If you only read **_**Angel In the Machine**_** for the penis jokes, **_**Old Wounds**_** will not appeal to you.**

**This chapter reveals a lot of plot details, and while I don't mind if you've got your own pet theory about what's going to happen please keep it out of the reviews. Suggestions are still welcome.**

**To my reviewers:**

**pikagurl12: Doing my best. Thanks for reading.**

**Hone Saibankan: Three words- Go for it.**

**Gerbilftw: Holy crap, the guy who wrote "The Return of the Forgotten" reviewed me. Anyway, glad you liked it- the quotation for chapter 15 is thanks to you.**

**Kurtispj5: Ha! Pokesmut. Good on you mate.**

**Many thanks to my other reviewers, but I am very tired right now. Goodnight internet.**

* * *

><p><strong>15-Saving Private Riolu<strong>

_**(There are many reasons for a man- or a pokemon, as the case may be- to fight. Greed and desperation have led to war; idealism to rebellion. Power, lust, anger... all have led to conflict at one point. But I fight for a purer, nobler cause: Love.**_

_**I do it all for the ketchup, baby.)**_

_**-Pikachu**_

They say that heaven is filled with a divine harmony, the music of the spheres. If this is true it begs the question: Is there a hell set aside for the tone deaf? I really hope so. Divine intervention is beginning to look like my only escape from Pikachu and Riolu's horrific attempts at singing:

_(Certain death! Certain death!_

_We are facing certain death,_

_Just because our trainer_

_thinks that he can be the best_

_We will jump into the fray_

'_cause Pokemon don't get a say_

_We fight and bleed and faint and die_

_Until he lets us rest!)_

_(Ash was just a simple boy_

_Who one day picked up a ball_

_He said "I am a loser_

_But I know that I can beat them all!"_

_We are Ash's Pokemon _

_And his plans have us distressed_

_Must we all be ripped apart _

_So Misty gets impressed?")_

_(Certain death! Certain death!_

_We are facing certain death,_

_Just because our trainer _

_thinks that he can be the best_

_We will jump into the fray_

'_cause Pokemon don't get a say_

_We fight and bleed and faint and die_

_Until he lets us rest!)_

_(Ash met a horny idiot _

_Who sort of taught him how to fight_

_He took on a Tyranitar_

_To prove his manly midget might_

_He travelled on an island_

_And then he saved the day_

_Must we all die horribly_

_Just to woo Miss May?)_

_(Certain death! Certain death!_

_We are facing certain death,_

_Just because our trainer _

_thinks that he can be the best_

_We will jump into the fray_

'_cause Pokemon don't get a say_

_We fight and bleed and faint and die_

_Until he lets us rest!)_

_(Ash fought some big-ass spider_

_Then had a little swim_

_Now we're reunited _

_And we fight as one again_

_Ash is getting stronger_

_And now longer sucks_

_But he's still Ash Ketchum _

_So I guess we're still all fucked!)_

"Shut up!" I yell as they massacre their way through the chorus. "Arceus! Who the hell sings for three hours?"

_(Hey, don't blame me.)_ replied Pikachu. _(It's in my blood. One of my litter mates was a Jigglypuff.)_

"You had a Jigglypuff for a sister? How does that... uh, I mean-"

_(Pokemon mating rituals are different from what humans do. Less romance, more sex. Not that you'd know much about either, hmm?)_

"You know, I wonder if they have a vet clinic here? I could still get you neutered. I could borrow Misty's spoon if need be."

_(Go ahead and try. I'll be sure to explain to your charred remains why it was a bad idea.)_

I sighed but didn't answer, deciding that trying to get my bearings was more important than fighting with Pikachu. We were lost. Very lost. Which was exactly what I got for letting Riolu do the navigating, but what the hell, at least it was a nice day. I'd woken up early this morning with the intention of training, had left a note to the others explaining that I would not be joining in the shopping (it isn't cowardice if no one sees you do it) and had gone to find a private place where I could confer with my Pokemon without fear of being observed or interrupted. That had been hours ago. Kindara island was the largest in the entire archipelago, and was technically also the most developed. Devon Corp. did not see much point in developing into areas it couldn't yet protect however, so more than half of the island was wilderness. Their decision to focus on core development rather than stretch an already tenuous supply line had seemed rational back when the heat, insects and dangerous terrain were on the other side of my hotel bedroom's window. Now that I was mired in them I cursed Devon for not paving the rainforest and putting up a wet bar. What kind of soulless bureaucracy were they?

"You know" I grumbled, "if you guys actually feel like that you can always leave. Nobody has to fight with me if they choose not to."

_(And miss the horrifically written soap opera that is your life?)_

"You did not just compare me to daytime television. I'll burn in hell before I let you get away with that."

_(Yeah, well correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm seeing an awful lot of similarities to 'Lost' right about now. Are you sure you know how to read a map?)_

"We aren't lost! We're just... directionally translocated."

_(Yep. Lost. Let's just hope we get a better ending.)_

"Shut up. At least I wouldn't fit in on 'Desperate Mousewives'."

_(Oh fuck you! You did not just insult this hunk of manly 'chu!)_

Pikachu keeps squeaking in righteous indignation, but I tune him out. His species is well suited to its niche, but they aren't common battlers and I've become used to Pikachu's occasional attempts to be taken more seriously. At least this time yelling was all he was doing. The last time he'd tried to self-aggrandize was pretty fucking spectacular- have you ever tried to explain to cop how your pet acquired a pair of stilts and a fake ID? I still wasn't allowed back in certain parts of Viridian for that little incident.

Besides, pissing off Pikachu is just an attempt to distance myself from the real problem. When Riley had told me he'd explain what he knew, I thought that I'd finally understand what this was all about. Now I was left more in the dark than ever, and I couldn't even entertain the comforting fantasy that Riley wasn't just as lost as I was.

_(Are you even listening to me?)_

"No. Have you stopped bitching?"

He glares, but the glare narrows into a knowing look.

_(You're distracted. What's the matter?)_

"I... last night. When I called Riley? I said I'd fill you guys in?"

_(Yeah.)_

"Well, I wish he hadn't filled me in. Still want to hear it?"

_(Do I get a choice?)_

"Not if you wanna roll with Team Virgin."

_(Fuck. Alright, hit me.)_

"Remember me telling you about those dark Ki users in the war with Aaron? I guess the interesting part of the conversation started when he told me-"

* * *

><p>"-They weren't human."<p>

"Wow, seriously sensei? I mean, damn, Baal had me fooled."

"No, you don't understand. Whatever he may have looked like, Baal wasn't a spider. If he were simply a large spider, he wouldn't be so hard to kill."

"Alright, fine. Enlighten me. Eight legs, bulbous abdomen- he had a serious case of tentacle face, but I guess I can put that down to bad oral hygiene. If Baal wasn't a spider, then what the hell was he?"

"They have many names, so whatever you call him is more a matter of preference than accuracy. I guess in your language they'd be monsters- or demons, maybe. Any word that conjures up images of something alien and sinister will suffice."

"Puberty."

"Must you be a smartass?"

"I would think it's a valid defence mechanism when your whole damned world comes apart! Aura... fine, I can accept aura. It's sort of like Ki with all the trimmings. But monsters? Demons? Where from? Why are they here now? What do they want?"

"Good questions. I just wish I had more answers for you."

"..."

"Ash?"

"Just... start at the beginning, would you?"

He did. It turns out that the beginning of this story was millennia ago, well before the founding of the regions. History, as in the stuff printed in the books, did not go back that far with any accuracy. There were still written accounts of course, but they were rare and badly damaged. I hadn't thought that anyone had an account complete enough to chronicle the Dark Wars, but apparently the aura guardians did.

It had started, according to Riley, in what I would think of as northern Sinnoh. Nothing spectacular had happened at first- a few sightings of strange animals, creatures that didn't belong- but this was back in the days of the old Empire, and a lot of the world hadn't even been mapped, much less colonized. It would have been easy for the people at the time to assume anything out of the ordinary was just a new type of pokemon, one that hadn't yet been recorded.

That was when the disappearances started.

First individuals, then groups, and suddenly entire villages went missing overnight. The remains of the people who disappeared weren't usually recovered, but when they were they were hideous. The victims had died by a variety of means- some were burned beyond recognition, whereas others succumbed to blunt trauma- but the most common cause of death seemed to be predation. The corpses had been chewed on, leaving almost nothing but the skeleton.

The empire may have been slow, but it could definitely kick ass when it wanted. As soon as villages started disappearing, an entire battalion of the imperial army had been mobilized and sent in to kill whatever was responsible.

That had been a mistake.

Whatever they were- the old word had been _skrimsli_, but there was no real true term for them- they had poured out of the north, overwhelmed the battalion, and began to raise hell as far south as Eterna. To make matters worse, pockets of them began to pop up in the other regions- they came from the sea at Fuschia and Vermillion, stormed down from the mountains into Lavaridge and Mauville, and had seemed to come from everywhere in Johto. Millions died in the initial assaults, and for a while it looked like humanity was going to go down before them like so much wheat before the scythe.

That was when the guardians moved.

They hadn't been called aura guardians back then though. Aura was a widely known force in the old empire, but prior to the Dark Wars it was regarded with suspicion by the majority of the populace, with most practitioners being labelled as _Khernye Magi_- black wizards. That all changed with Sir Aaron the Red. Born to the peasantry, he had realized his talent with aura, which he had regarded as a curse, might be the key to stopping the unyielding tide of destruction. He had drawn others to him, pariahs cast out of society for their use of aura, and formed the guardians. Using that group, he waged war on the demons- a long, bloody war which was said to have put the very fabric of space and time through the wringer. It had all culminated in the battle of Camaran, in which both Sir Aaron and what was believed to be the other force's leader had supposedly perished.

"And that's it, kid." Said Riley. "The empire broke into factions, and the ensuing chaos erased the truth. The guardians went into hiding for when we were needed, and we've been fighting skirmishes with the monsters ever since."

"Sweet Arceus. An entire army like Baal? How did even the guardians fight something like that?"

"They didn't. Your average monster comes in three flavours, kid. The first, and most common, were the _myrkri sveitir_- the dark legions. They acted as shock troops, and they were damned hard to kill, but not anything spectacular. They fell to swords and flame just like a human would, and their life-span was less than half of ours, so they're definitely gone... assuming nobody is making any more of them."

"What do you mean 'make'?"

"I'll get to that. Type two were less common than the legions, but they were more dangerous. They were called _hlatri menn_, but these days we just call them thralls. They're people- human men and women- who've switched sides. The demons give them powers, usually in exchange for services- there've been tales of thralls offering up their own families as food to prove their intentions to their new masters."

"That's sick."

"It gets better. Those masters I just mentioned? They're the third class of demons, the same ones who make the legions. And they don't die easy- Baal just being one example. They don't really have a collective name- the old empire didn't bother naming them as they all go by individual names. Since the war ended, those in the know have called them names out of local tradition- Karnagaunts, Gray ones, Eidolons, what have you. They're old, they're mean, and their bodies are laced with dark aura- it's literally a part of them, making them damned near impossible to kill. The guardians have been fighting them off and on for millennia, but I can't really call it a war anymore. We deadlocked centuries ago, and now both groups spend their time licking their wounds."

"But... Mew sensei, how did this not get out? A war that ripped apart the world, followed by millennia of brush fighting? How come I've never heard of this before?"

"You have. In children's stories, and mythology, and historical texts so warped that the truth and the lies are hard to pull apart. Besides, the war decimated both sides so badly that there just aren't enough of us to be conspicuous."

"Baal sure as hell wasn't inconspicuous!"

"Yeah... that's the thing... when I said that both sides got reamed by the war, I should have said that that's what we thought happened."

"I don't like where this is going."

"Well, it's certainly been the case that the guardians got reamed. Even at our apex we never numbered more than a few thousand, and I'd be surprised if there are more than a few dozen of us today. Maybe- and it's a big maybe- a few hundred. Up until recently we'd thought that that had been the case for the Masters too, but there've been signs that we've badly underestimated their numbers."

"Signs? What kind of signs?"

"Small things. They're being more active recently, doing things that they shouldn't have the numbers or the resources for. Suspicious factional movements in Sinnoh, some odd deaths in Hoenn... and now this tournament. Somebody is manipulating it, and I don't like how subtle they've been in doing it."

"Uh, speaking as the man on the ground, I didn't find the Tyranitar thing very subtle. That was aimed at me, right?"

"You were probably one of several people targeted for an early failure. I've gotten similar reports from my contacts in Hoenn and Sinnoh- trainers who entered under suspicious circumstances seem to be encountering an unprecedented death rate this year. Be careful. I don't think they know who you are yet, but your miraculous discovery that you could use "Ki" after all must have made you a target. Surviving the Tyranitar only makes you more suspicious in their eyes. They may try again, and they might not be so discreet about it this time."

"Discreet? How the hell could they be less discreet? It was a freaking Tyranitar! That isn't subtle!"

"No, not until you take into account the fact that I haven't been able to find out where it came from."

"What?"

"The girl you fought was an ordinary trainer, no demonic connections whatsoever. She got on the train to Kanto to take the test with a Chikorita, and got off with a Tyranitar. No prints on the ball, no sightings of the person who made the switch- even she doesn't know how she got it. Every passenger on the manifest was completely normal. I haven't found out how it was done yet, and trust me when I say I've looked."

"So these... things, these Masters, why do they go all the trouble? Why manipulate a tournament? What do they want?"

"I don't know. I don't think anyone knows. During the war, they just seemed to be focused on killing as many humans as physically possible. Over the last little while they've mainly been concerned with killing guardians when they could. I have no idea what they're after, I just know it isn't a good idea to let them get it."

"Yeah. Great. So while I'm here up to my ass in demons, where the fuck are you?"

"I said I had things to do, and I'm taking care of them. One of our greatest weapons against the Gray ones was that they've never worked well together. Ever since Aaron killed their leader, they've lacked any real coordination- hell, most of them hate each other. They've been leaderless for a long time now... but there have been some disturbing rumours that that isn't true anymore. Their activities lately have been too well timed, too coordinated. Something is holding them together, and I'm trying to find whatever it is."

"Uh, no offense, but once you've found the thing that can order a bunch of prehistoric monsters around, what are you going to do to it? Something tells me the ol' 'look at my old rod' gag isn't going to work."

The line goes silent. My guess as to what Riley is planning goes from idle speculation to bone chilling certainty, and my voice shakes a little when I speak again.

"You aren't... no, even you aren't stupid enough to... you wouldn't right?"

His voice is laced with grim determination as he replies. "The life of a guardian is a harsh one Ash. It is often brutal and short. If I can find that which is leading the fallen, that which is trying to raise the _skrimsli _again, I will report it... and then I will do my best to kill it."

"That's insane! Their last leader killed Aaron the Red- how the hell can you think you could win against something like that?"

"I don't. But I can try. The next guardian will try harder. This isn't about winning, it's about the future."

I shake my head and whisper softly. "Damn. Suddenly my own corner of hell doesn't seem so toasty."

He barks with laughter, surprising me. "Ha! Oh relax Ash, I didn't mean to be so dramatic. I probably won't even find the bastard- Arceus knows I haven't had any luck so far. I can't even pin down which region the leader might be in- which brings me to my next point."

"Which is?"

"Searching for our enemies' hierarchy and some other duties I need to get finished are keeping me tied up. That having been said, if Baal really was there then I've thrown you into deeper water than I'd feared. You're just a few months into training kid- the toughest guardian alive wouldn't be up to this at your age. I'm sending you reinforcements."

"Because the last time you tried that worked out so great. I think I've hit my "annoying dog" quota, thanks."

"No, I wasn't talking about another Riolu. How is he by the way? Zydanya will want to know."

"Enthusiastic." I growled in a tone of voice most people reserve for "bone cancer". "I've already had to stop him from getting into fights with my pokemon, Misty's pokemon, the concierge at the hotel, and a lamp-post that looked at him funny."

"Excellent! I'm sure she'll be pleased to hear her son is so ready to fight. And the rest of your team?"

"Surprisingly good considering what's happened recently. Did I mention I caught a Feebas?"

"Yes. An excellent choice- Milotics are powerful creatures."

"She sort of chose me, actually. When do they evolve?"

"They don't, not by level. You need to either find a prism scale- they're rare, but you can find one if you're willing to look hard enough- or else raise her beauty stat."

"Her beauty stat? Do I look like James Blunt? I'll go for the scale."

"Good hunting then. Try Unova if you get the chance."

"Yeah... wait, what about those reinforcements? You say they aren't pokemon?"

"Mmhmm! Human as they come. I've got some old friends watching the tournament; I'll get them to contact you. Trust them as you would me- they can guide and train you while I'm gone."

"Who are they? How will I know them?"

"Trust me, you'll know. Now get some damn sleep- it's got to be late where you are. And Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of Haruka. I haven't quite worked that one out yet, but I'm close."

* * *

><p>"And that was it. After he told me that, I hung up and went back to bed. What do you think?"<p>

Pikachu gnawed the inside of one of his cheek sacs worriedly. _(This is some deep shit we're into isn't it? Demons... I mean, pokemon tell stories, but I thought that was all they were. How are we supposed to fight monsters?)_

I didn't know how to answer that question, but oddly enough, Riolu did. Even more strangely, he talks in a calm, measured tone. _(Mom says that evil is evil, no matter what form it takes. All we need to fight it is the courage to love and the strength to protect our love.)_

_(Your mom's a hell of a woman kid. But I still think a well placed bolt will do ya one better nine times out of ten.)_

"I know that song earlier was a joke" I tell them, "but this isn't a game. If anybody wants out now, I won't blame them."

_(Ha! Pardon the language Ash, but fuck you and the Ponyta you rode in on. We're a team, man. Even the kid knows that. You point, we bite, hit and shock.)_

Riolu bobs his head in agreement, and a "Vee!" from below means it's anonymous. Well, except for Feebas who's in her ball, but I can talk to her later.

"Thanks guys." I tell them quietly. "That means a lot."

_(No problem. You ever feel like paying back the favour, try and get me some more May time. I'm a hardcore Misty supporter, but damn can that Hoenn girl scratch!)_

"You support Misty for what exactly?"

_(Oh... nothing. May's good too, of course. When you're ready to admit it to yourself, come see me and I'll teach you the old "Mate and Switch" trick.)_

"Who are you to give me relationship advice?"

_(I'm the guy who's been snuggled up into both their chests.)_

"Touché old friend. Touché."

* * *

><p>It was getting on towards mid morning by the time we stopped. I had eventually decided that being lost in one place was better than being lost over the island, so as soon as we had hit a clearing large enough to allow for training I told the others to stop walking and get ready for a workout. It was a nice place actually- the jungle gave way to a small lake, leaving just enough room in between for us to practise. I thought that instilling some esprit de corps would help us prevent esprit de corpse, and had therefore arranged my pokemon in something approximating a straight line (Feebas, of course, went in the lake, necessitating a somewhat staggered formation). I paced up and down the line, as imperious as any general, waiting for the right moment to give an inspirational speech. Well, what I hoped to pass off as an inspirational speech, anyway. It seemed we were finally as organized as we were going to get, so I turned towards the line.<p>

"Squad! Attention!" I cried, trying to sound as confident as possible. The results of my command were... interesting to say the least. Eevee, physically incapable of coming to what we bipeds call attention, sticks his tail straight up in the air. Pikachu, who is capable of the action but doesn't feel like it right now, flips me off. Riolu, in his enthusiasm to obey, snaps upright so fast that he falls over backwards into the lake. Feebas gives me a dreary blink of acknowledgement before swimming over to prevent Riolu from drowning in five inches of water.

"Cadet Yiff, sound off!"

Eevee zags his tail sideways before responding. "Vee!"

"Cadet McChubbs, sound off!"

_(Real subtle asshole!)_

"Cadet Skittles, sound off!"

_(Present!)_ shouts Riolu, before he slips on the mud and goes back under.

"Cadet Chips, sound off!"

Feebas gives me an enormous, creepy grin before gently nudging Riolu back onto land.

"Alright then gentlemen. And Lady." I say, nodding to Feebas. "I speak to you now not as your trainer, but as your friend. A man to 'mon chat, you might say. You all know what we're here for, and you all know the stakes. We need to stay in this tournament at least as long as it takes to find out who's messing with things behind the scenes. That means we need to train and train hard- not just to be good, but to be the best. We're in this come hell or high water- or, more accurately, come demons or muddy lakes" here I nod to Riolu "and we need to keep our shit together. Are you with me?"

_(Yes Sir!)_

"Vee!"

"Basssss!"

_(Can I shock something now?)_

"Very good. Then I propose that we discuss strategy and training methods before we get too deeply into our regimen. Problem number one: Our fighting skills. You're all too cute to be dangerous."

_(Even Feebas?)_

"Especially Feebas! I mean, look at her."

We all do. Feebas seems embarrassed by the attention, causing her to blush an unhealthy purple colour and retreat into the water slightly.

"See? She's practically the image of feminine grace!"

_(What a beautiful personality!) _chokes out Pikachu.

_(She's a real pretty lady! Can we fight now?)_

I shake my head and approach the edge of the water. Kneeling at the bank, I lean out to talk to Feebas.

"Feebas, as the only girl on this team I need you to be in charge of both common sense and sex appeal. Think you can handle it?"

Feebas grins and salutes me. Or tries to anyway. A salute is not an easy manoeuvre to pull off with a fin.

"Good girl! Now while I was being sort of a smartass, I was actually pointing out a serious problem. I know you're strong, but you're all smaller pokemon, and you don't look strong. That means we should probably focus on speed and attack power before we work our defence. Feebas, you go first- show me an attack.

Feebas appears to think on it for a moment, before promptly giving up and dying. Her eyes roll up into her head, and then she turns over onto her stomach and begins to twitch. I sit there on the bank, gazing on in horror.

"I... how the hell do I CPR a fish?"

_(She isn't dying, idiot. This is splash attack.)_

"You mean that Feebas do this in the wild? And they're still around? How does this attack hurt anyone?"

_(Don't underestimate it. One of my relatives went after a Magikarp once- the damn thing used splash attack and grandpa laughed until his heart gave out.)_

Feebas appears to have stopped, and is watching me anxiously.

"Uh... that's a... good talent. I guess. Can you do anything else?"

Feebas nods, then proceeds to spit a stream of clear mucus into my face. Well, she isn't much of an attacker but I guess the sex appeal is in good hands.

"Moving on!" I decree after wiping the stuff off. "Riolu! I already know Pikachu and Eevee's attacks, but what can you do?"

_(Hit things!)_

"Good lad! And what do you do when they get back up?"

Riolu's face scrunches up in consternation. _(I... hit them again?)_

"Kid, that might be the smartest thing you've ever said. Come on!" I tell him, cupping my hands and placing them vertically in front of him "Let's see how hard you hit. Give me your best shot!"

He does. Once I stop vomiting, I decide to instruct him on the fine art of body language.

"You see," I say, breathing harder than normal, "usually the hand thing is a way to invite a punch, not a kick."

_(Oops! Sorry!)_

"Actually, that isn't the important thing. The important thing is that if you do decide to kick me, next time can you do it a foot higher and a lot less personal?"

_(Mom says to go for the soft bits!)_

"Good advice, but my soft bits are off limits."

_(Yeah.)_ chuckles Pikachu, _(Just ask Misty.)_

"I'm sorry? Would you like to spar with Cadet Skittles next, Cadet Fatass McChubbs?"

_(Sir no sir! My entire body is a soft bit, sir!)_

"No doubt. Okay, from what I can see Feebas and Riolu will be assets eventually, but they need some serious training first. Feebas you have some damn good endurance- the swim over here proves that, if nothing else- but you don't have many attacks. Pikachu, I know you're an electric type, but can you try to walk her through some ranged moves? You've seen Misty's pokemon in action, right?

_(Sure thing boss man.) _He turns to Feebas. _(Come on Feebs, let's see what you can do.)_

Pikachu bounces further along the bank, and Feebas follows him from the water. I turned back to other two.

"As for Riolu, you got some serious muscles there, but maybe you aren't so great at strategy. You have to realize that even if you are strong, you could be facing opponents that outweigh you by an order of magnitude. You also lack experience, whereas Eevee has spent most of his life fighting opponents that are bigger and badder than he is. Eevee, can you go teach Riolu how a real fight works? Make sure to show him how to calm down and strike an opponent's weak spot rather than just charging in.

Riolu practically wets himself at the idea of being taught how to really fight. Eevee just nods, but he looks pretty happy too- he's never gotten on well with others, but I suspect he isn't as content with that situation as he'd like me to believe. Maybe giving him a student will be good for him.

The two of them go off and begin their own practise. For my part, I begin with the exercises Riley taught me- meditation, focused breathing, aura and strength training exercises- but for the most part I take it light and watch what the pokemon do. Some trainers are absolutely overbearing when they train, breathing down their pokemons' necks the whole time. I guess that's better than ignoring or neglecting them, but I've always found it better to watch what they do before jumping in. A trainer's job isn't to butt in and disrupt his pokemon, it's to coordinate and manage the team. They'll still need plenty of one on one attention, but for group exercises I prefer to watch from a distance and give advice when it's needed.

And this time, I honestly didn't think it was. Pikachu and Eevee did me proud, working with the less experienced members of team to improve both individual power and overall teamwork. Pikachu sat with Feebas, patiently talking her through the nuances of performing a strong ranged attack despite their type differences. Eevee sparred with Riolu, showing him how to feint, how to find a weak point, and how to harry a stronger opponent until they were tired enough to finish off. For the first time I felt less like we were a group of misfits thrown together at the cruel whims of fate, and more like we were a team.

"_They weren't human... be careful"_ Riley had said. I shudder despite the warm noontime sun, but shrug it off pretty quick. My team may not look like much, but from the looks on my Pokemon's faces as they really got into their training, I knew that anyone who thought we'd go down easy was getting one hell of a nasty surprise.

Smiling at that thought, I walked over and began to train with them. It was time to see what trainer and Pokemon could do together.

* * *

><p>In retrospect, I hadn't really needed Riley to tell me demons were real. Every human being who has ever lived has had nightmares- personal demons they needed to confront. I was standing in front of one of mine right now.<p>

The Mall. See? Two words and I've already managed to divide you up by gender. Women hear them and think: "So? It's just a building. Stop being a coward." But the men out there... don't lie to me, you just shuddered didn't you? You have memories like mine I'll bet.

I'd actually been pretty lucky in that regard. Pallet doesn't have one, not one that can honestly be called a mall at any rate. The stores there mainly deal with the big three: Food, medicine and weapons. Viridian was a little better, but there still wasn't much worth seeing. I hadn't even really thought about it for the most part- why would I? Malls didn't matter to me, and even if they had I didn't have the money to spend in them. For as long as I could remember, shopping had not played a large part in my life.

Then Misty hit puberty.

I should have seen it coming. Gary had warned me about the big bad spectre of hormones, but I hadn't believed him- hell, Misty had more balls then I did. She was one of the guys, and she would be forever. I had known that in my heart, and had believed right up until the point where she kidnapped me (I sure as hell didn't go willingly) and dragged me to Celadon. The Celadon shopping center, to be exact. I'm sure the center sold useful items or else it would have gone out of business, but all I can remember are endless racks of clothes and cosmetics. It would have been bad enough if Misty were a normal girl- I could have kept repeating "It looks good on you!" and silently prayed for Arceus to let me die, but Misty was still Misty. Not only did I have to assure her she'd look good in the outfits we saw, I had to do it in a way that made her think I thought she still wasn't into "girly stuff" and that she was just here to make fun of the "vapid bimbos". Have you ever tried phrasing a compliment so that the person you're complimenting can pretend it isn't about them? Thank Mew Gary had pulled me aside for a chat before we left or else I would have told Misty the truth- I don't think "Aren't you four years too young and two cup sizes too small to be looking at that dress?" would have gone over very well. That was two years ago now- we were thirteen and a half- and Misty's self-image had since improved significantly, but I still didn't have the highest opinion of malls. Every time I get near one, my Misty sense- that mallet shaped dent in my head- starts to tingle.

But it wasn't as if I could run away. I mean, I guess I could, but I don't like to think of myself as the kind of guy who leaves wounded men behind. Gary and Brock were still in there presumably (after finishing training and getting myself unlost I'd hit up the hotel, and they weren't there) and duty had driven me forwards even as fear had kept me back. The two forces seemed to have reached an equilibrium in the parking lot, so here I was standing just outside of the mall and vacillating.

"_Oh, come on! How bad can it be?"_

_That would depend on how angry the red-head is for your disappearing act this morning. On the whole I suggest she will be angrier the longer you wait, so I would proceed with haste, my host._

I twitch, surprised by Kaelus' sudden entry.

"_Well you were awful quiet during training."_

_Why would I not be? I agreed with your actions. Those who serve us must be taught strength and obedience._

"_...right. Come to think of it, you were pretty quiet last night too. Any thoughts on the whole monster revelation? You still haven't told me how you knew about Baal."_

_And you still haven't come up with a reason that I should._

"_It might make me trust you a little more... and then again, it might not."_

_How many times must I tell you I am not an enemy? Were it not for me you would be just another of Baal's many meals. I have fought your other foes my host, and I will fight these "demons" of yours. How I knew the spider is irrelevant. You need all the help you can get._

"_Too fucking true. Alright, be a good... creepy, voice-in-my-head thing, and I won't prod. But we are going to have a serious talk one of these days."_

_Oh yes, my host. I'm looking forward to it with great fervency. But this does nothing to resolve the issue of this "mall" you face. Go forth and reaffirm your commitment to your friends. We may need them later._

"_Well that sounded ominous. I really do not want to do this."_

_Look on the bright side. You will be able to watch young women parade around in provocative raiment. What more could a young man ask for?_

I growl, but Kaelus' presence recedes leaving nothing but muted laughter behind. I stalk into the mall, half of me wanting nothing more than to hit somebody and run away. I ignore the other half of me, the part that's extremely interested in the clothes Misty and May have bought... and how much skin they show. That's the stupid part anyway, it isn't worth listening to.

Finding Gary and Brock was not as difficult as I'd thought it would be. I just went to the sanctuary- known to all you mall lovers as the food court- and looked for the pile of bags shaped like my friends. I approached the two of them grinning.

"So! Having fun I see. Did you buy yourself a new dress Gary?"

One of the piles of bags shifts, and Gary's head pops out from underneath.

"You... you... I don't even have words for what you are. Do you know I've been through? No, you don't! You don't know the things that I've done- the things that I've seen!" He shudders. My grin just gets wider.

"Hey come on. It's not like I was lazing around." I told him, pointing at the mud on my boots. "I was training."

"Yeah? Cry me a fucking river."

"Oh, get over it. I don't hear Brock complaining."

"Brock probably doesn't even know your here. He's been... distracted this afternoon."

Looking more closely, I can see a thin stream of drool coming from under the other pile of bags. Adding that to the fact that the coffee shop to our right had an extremely attractive barista, I came to the conclusion that Brock had been pretty docile today.

"Does he even know where he is?"

"Debateable. He's fairly lucid until he sees a girl- and they're everywhere today- and then he's gone."

"To be honest, I don't think I'll miss him when he's like this. Where are Misty, May and Zoey?"

"Getting beautified. Hair, nails, make-up... all that stuff."

"Uh? That doesn't really seem like Misty's thing." More like it wasn't the kind of thing she'd admit to being her thing, but she honestly never had liked going all out on her appearance. Besides, whatever else Misty was she was a soldier first- she knew getting prettied up before a fight was pointless.

"Maybe, maybe not... but the other two girls talked her into it. May seems to be trying really hard to get in Misty's good books, and Zoey is dead set on supporting May." It's his turn to grin at me. "I wonder why they would do that Ash? What do you think May needs to get Misty to agree to?"

I didn't look at him. Wouldn't have if you'd paid me. "Dunno. Guess she's just friendly."

"Of course," he continues, ignoring me "Misty agreed a little too quickly. Maybe she wants to look good for... unknown reasons?"

"We had this talk." I grumble, still not looking at him. "Let it go."

"Not a chance. Zoey has this theory about why Misty and May are acting like this. You see, she thinks that-"

"Oh?" I interrupt, trying to cut off his argument. "And since when does Zoey talk to strange men about her friends' feelings? Did you two get... close while I was gone?"

This time it was him that looked away from me.

"Fuck you."

"Aww, does the lady-killer have a little crush? I bet she thinks you're just after her-"

"Breasts!" comes a moan from behind the pile of bags that is Brock. Gary and I turn to face him, momentarily united in amused disgust.

"Should we get him some ice or something?"

"Bah. Let him fantasize- if he goes too far a few pika-volts will bring him back to earth."

Gary nods, and then looks around as his name is called. I turn to follow the voice, and see a significantly spruced up Zoey bearing down on us.

"Hey Gary! Ash, you made it!"

She looks good. Really good, as a matter of fact. I hadn't exactly caught her at her best during the last test- she, like all of us, was tired and a little dishevelled from roughing it in the wilderness. But even though I'd known that and accounted for it, I'd still underestimated how attractive she could be when she tried.

Which led to the question: why was she trying? I file that under the list of things to tease Gary about later, and return to the conversation.

"Yep, I did. I'd meant to come back earlier, but..."

"But his sense of direction is as crappy as always." Comes a voice from behind me. Misty's voice. She and May come around from behind me and sit down at our table. They look... hell, they're amazing. They've got different outfits on, although I don't dare look to see how different because the glares I get from both girls assures me that looking at anything below the neck will put me in a world of hurt. They've also had their hair done. Misty has had hers put up into a pony-tail (a regular, backwards facing one, not the side pony-tail from our youth), May has had hers straightened slightly so that her bangs no longer interfere with her vision, and both girls have done something done to soften up their locks.

"Misty! May! You girls look great! Wow, it's a shame that I absolutely, positively could not get out of training this morning, because I would have loved to-"

"Don't worry about it." Misty says, crossing her legs and smiling patiently. "You can always take us later. The mall isn't going anywhere."

Damn.

"Alright, sorry! But come on girls- if you weren't so busy dragging my weary carcass all over yesterday, you would have noticed I caught a new pokemon. I had to start getting Feebas ready as soon as possible- you know this tournament is dangerous. I can't let her go in unprepared."

May drops her glare immediately. Misty's persists a little longer- she's known me for a long time, and she's figured out I'm leaving something out, just not what- but eventually she too drops the glare.

"You have a week to train Ash. I doubt one morning will make much of a difference... but I guess I can understand given what happened to you in the last test. How was training?"

"Good, actually. Feebas doesn't know many attacks, but she was a wild capture so she has great stamina. Pikachu couldn't teach her anything water related, but he gave some good advice on the theory of ranged attacks. You mind if we train together sometime Mist? I'd like to have a water trainer's advice on this."

Misty's face lights up, and I relax. She's happy that I acknowledged her strength, which was half the reason I voiced the request. Pissed off female avoided- go Team Virgin!

"I guess I can help." She says smugly, but her smile is wiped out a second later when May butts in.

"And I can train Eevee! My dad's a normal type trainer!"

May and Misty look at each other, and something passes between them that not even I catch. Misty tenses up for a moment, but eventually her shoulders relax and she smiles a little ruefully.

"Sure!" She says. "We'll all get a chance... to train."

"Thanks Misty." Says May, gratefully. "But for now" she turns to me and Gary and simpers, "how about these big strong men carry the bags back to the hotel for us?"

* * *

><p>Dropping my share of the bags on the floor of the hotel lobby, I try to massage some life back into my ruined arms.<p>

"How the hell did we fall for that?"

Gary drops his share next to mine. "Because we're stupid? Who knows? What I'd like to know is what is in those bags that makes them so damn heavy? I hadn't realized osmium laced panties were the "in" look this year. Any thoughts?"

"No. I don't know what types of clothes girls are into these days. What do you think interests them?"

"Sexy lingerie and hot oil massage?"

"When I said "think" I meant with your head."

"But I did-"

"The head on your shoulders, dipshit."

Gary grins at me, and leaves the packages to go and rest in his room. From here on in they're the bellhop's problem, poor bastard. I stretch, and follow Gary into the elevator. We take it up our floor, and upon arriving Gary heads for his room. I'd intended to follow him in order to talk, and I would have if not for the note jammed in my door. It isn't anything special- just a folded piece of printer paper stuck in the frame just above the knob. It's in a hand I don't recognize, and all that's written on it is an address.

"_Well, whoever Riley's reinforcements are, at least they're prompt."_

"Ash? Is this about... you know..."

I nod to Gary. "Yeah, but it's good news. I have to go somewhere for a while, okay? Watch the girls."

"You got it."

"From where they can see you."

"Spoilsport."

* * *

><p>Kindara wasn't a huge city, but it was definitely bigger than Pallet had been, and it was correspondingly easier to lose myself in the crowd. The address led me to the outskirts of the city, part of a series of large manors in the richer part of town. I had no idea why I'd been sent here, but at least whoever was expecting me had better taste than Riley.<p>

Finally I arrived at my destination- an enormous estate, right at the end of the row of houses. The yard separated it from the nearest neighbour by at least a hundred meters, ensuring privacy for those within. Good if you want to avoid prying eyes, not so good if you get ambushed and need help. I guess I'll have to take my chances.

I walked up to the door, as casual as I could manage considering the situation. After ringing the doorbell I couldn't help but wonder if this was a bad idea- I really didn't know that the note had been left by Riley's reinforcements, not for certain. But what choice did I have? Sensei hadn't really been specific about how I was supposed to find these people.

Too late to run now. I hear somebody approach the door, and there's a creaking noise as it opens slowly. I steel myself, waiting to face whatever comes next-

And nearly fall over. Whoever I had been expecting, it sure wasn't this.

She was quite tall for a woman- not as tall as Riley had been, but easily topping Brock or Michael. More striking than her height was her figure though- her hips hugged form fitting black pants, and an ample bust strained against the confines of a small white T-shirt. Add to that her long blonde hair, piercing dark eyes, and the black leather jacket she sported (not unlike the one I had lost, but of a much higher quality) and she looked like nothing so much as a valkyrie. Or maybe some kind of kick-ass biker chick. Either way, I sure as hell wasn't going to mess with her.

"Wrong house." I manage to stutter. "There is no fucking way this is the right house."

She smiles at the reaction before speaking in a beautiful contralto. "What makes you think that?"

"Nobody with, um... "frontage" like yours would put up with Riley."

Her smile turns into a grin. "Hmm. You remind me of him at that age- blunt, stupid, and too cute for your own damned good. Come on in!"

She grabs me by the arm, and gently but firmly leads me deeper inside the house. It's beautifully furnished and immaculately clean, but I don't see any servants or cleaners anywhere. Odd in a house this size.

"I'm glad you're here, he's been waiting to see what kind of person Riley would take as an apprentice. He's spitting mad too- probably just jealous that Riley found one first."

"He? Who is he? Who are you?"

"I am one of your new trainers and 'he' is the other. Introductions can wait- come on, let's go!"

She pushes me through a doorway, and suddenly it's like we're in a completely different house. This one looks more like a gym than a house- it's got a wood floor and pieces of equipment are strewn throughout the room. In the center of it stands a man. I can't see his face from here- his back is turned- but his fiery red hair and burly frame make him pretty distinctive nonetheless.

"Riley's apprentice is here!" calls the woman.

"I know." He replies in a deep, resonating voice. "For so it has been foretold!"

The woman rolls her eyes and whispers to me. "Just play along, will you? They always did try to outdo one another." Before I can ask what she means, she pushes me towards the man. He turns to face me, and his looks are about what I'd expect- fierce. He spreads his arms wide, drawing my attention to our surroundings.

"Welcome" he booms, "to my-"

"Sanctum sanctorum?" I blurt out, unable to stop myself. I regret it immediately. His face becomes a mask of rage, and his fists clench in anger. I get ready to run, but then realize his ire isn't aimed at me. Instead he turns to the blonde woman.

"I'm going to kill Riley! He poached my best line!"

The woman covers her eyes with her hand and sighs. "Oh Mew, not this again."

"That thieving bastard! I oughta-"

"Look will you shut up? The kid is already convinced we're insane, could you please not make it worse?"

He glares at her poisonously, but eventually gets his temper under control and turns back to me.

"Fine. Despite Riley's scurrilous thievery of my awesome persona"-here the blonde groaned-"I am willing to take his poor, misguided apprentice under my wing and teach him correctly. Welcome Ash Ketchum! This" he nods to the blonde "is Cynthia. She and I will be responsible for developing your body and mind."

He grinned at me. It's been a long time since I saw that grin... not since basic training mark two... sensei, what the hell did you get me into?

"And who are you?" I ask, wishing that Cynthia wasn't blocking my only escape route. His grin gets wider.

"Call me Lance."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. Remember the plot guys? The plot that I mentioned like, once, and then forgot because I was too busy making fun of people's naughty bits? There it is. <strong>

**I know the naming for the monsters is weird. Whenever I mention them, I'll make it clear which ones I'm referring to (the legions, the thralls or the masters). Skrimsli is their collective name, and I don't actually speak Icelandic (I just speak google translate) so don't bug me because I misconjugated something.**

**I apologize for the spacing on the song. FFN won't let me add blank lines between the verses for some reason, so I had to go with parentheses. It won't matter for long time readers anyway- the song is a recap.**

**Cynthia is awesome. One of the best champions out there, and she knows it.**

**Please remember to review.**


	16. Chapter 16: Making The Grade

**NOTE: This chapter was uploaded simultaneously with chapter 15. If you are reading this first, then you have skipped a chapter.**

**Some people have been asking why I'm so late with this update. One word: School. Sorry guys, but it comes first. There might be periods when I can't upload for months or more. But I currently have no intention to abandon this fic, and if I did I would let everyone know about it on my profile page. So relax, I'll get it done. Just not fast.**

**Oh right, PS: I didn't mention Cyberbeta, ismellpeanuts and many others in the last chapter even though they left long reviews. Sorry guys... it's late where I live...**

* * *

><p><strong>16-Making the Grade<strong>

"_**Sometimes the world needs a bastard."**_

_**-Ash Ketchum**_

I stood there mute, awed into silence. Before me, two of the deadliest human beings clashed. Titanically strong but evenly matched, it was a quarrel of legends.

Then Cynthia pulled Lance's hair and it devolved into a slap fight.

"Riley sent you here to train him, not to be a moron! Quit the stupid theatrics and-"

"Theatrics? Who do you think you are? Riley didn't even send you, he sent me and you tagged along like a Growlithe with its tongue out- ow!"

"Shut up you! Mom said to stop making fun of me!"

"Um... guys?" There was no way they heard me. They were standing nose to nose now, screaming into each other's faces.

"Even if I left it to you, you'd just do it wrong! He needs guidance, not idiot macho posturing!"

"Guidance? Ha! You're just using him to try and get closer to R- damn it, stop hitting me!"

"Guys!" I shout, desperate now to break this up before it could get any worse. The two of them glare at each other before huffing simultaneously and turning to face me. They both looked embarrassed, but mad enough to keep fighting if I didn't do something soon.

"Yes?" They both asked. An angry look passed between them, but I interjected before they resumed hostilities.

"You." I say, pointing to the redhead. "You're name is Lance?"

"Yes." He speaks solemnly now, probably trying to regain some of his dignity.

Red hair, cape, burly frame, it all fit but... no, it couldn't be.

"Lance as in Lance of the Wataru clan?"

"That's me!" He answers proudly.

"Leader of Indigo force? 'The Blackthorn Butcher'? That Lance?."

"So I see you are familiar with me. Good, Riley tends too much towards caution- I thought I'd be here all night convincing you I am who I say I am."

"And... hey, wait a minute." I shift my attention to the blonde woman. Cynthia... that name sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. Something I'd learned in class maybe?

"Your name was Cynthia?"

"Yes."

Suddenly it clicked.

"The Cynthia? Cynthia Shirona?"

Cynthia has a much better grip on her pride than Lance does, but her eyes still light up at being recognized.

"That's me."

"Lady Shirona, Baroness of Celestic? The Captain General of Sinnoh's Silver guard?"

"Indeed."

"You forgot her most important title." Smirked Lance. "She's also my little sister."

Cynthia scowls, pissed off. "Half sister."

"I thought you came from Johto Lance, not Sinnoh."

"I come from a lot of places. You'd be amazed how many people- how many warriors- had their start in the Wataru clan."

The two of them stand there, looking at me curiously. Both have calmed down now, and after figuring out how famous- and strong- they are, I can almost forget that they were acting like toddlers a minute ago. But if working out their identities has answered one question, it's opened up entire vistas of new ones.

"You two are Riley's reinforcements?"

"Is that what he called us? Either way, we're here to help... or, more accurately, you are here to help us."

"Two of the strongest people in all four regions are at Riley's beck and call? With a single request he can have two champions fight for him?"

"We are not at his-" Lance began, but Cynthia cut him off.

"Pretty much." She shrugged.

"Then why the fuck am I here? Tell you what, you guys finish this up in an afternoon and I'll go get us coffee."

My escape did not go quite as planned. Lance could move faster than I'd thought was physically possible. One moment he was in front of me, and the next he was directly beside me, his hand gripping my shoulder tightly.

"Nice try, but it isn't that simple."

"No? You want pizza too? Just let go and I'll be happy to oblige..."

He snorts. "Are you a coward, or are you just lazy?"

"Neither. It's just that when the shit hits the fan I don't want to be standing next to the craziest guy in the crapstorm."

Cynthia sighed. "Damn it Lance, I told you to behave for the first meeting. Now he doesn't trust us."

Lance grunted, then let go of my shoulder and folded his arms across his chest. "Alright kid, maybe we didn't get off on the right foot. I assure you that despite my... informalities in dealing with my sister, I am both strong enough and intelligent enough to maintain my own sanity. Despite my reputation- and hers- for proficiency in combat, you are still needed for this operation."

Cynthia smiles again, probably in an attempt to reassure me. "Would you like some tea, Ash? We can explain more fully."

I hesitate for a moment, then nod. They might not be the most... professional of people, but if they are who they say they are then their help will be invaluable. And I guess Riley did tell me to trust them. The three of us move out of the gym area and back into the parts of the house that Cynthia had rushed me through before. They lead me to a side area that's still impressively decorated, but obviously less opulent than the rest of the manor. The room we arrive in is bigger than the entire orphanage in which I grew up, but which in this place is probably just a kitchenette. Cynthia heads over to the stove and puts some water on to boil while Lance shows me to a table and waits while I seat myself. The two of them sit down opposite me, and there's a bit of an awkward silence until Lance speaks up.

"So. Cynthia and I have been sent here to guide you and to help you with Riley's investigation into the tournament. Do you have any questions?"

"Some, yeah. Why are you two even here? Wasn't the whole point of me being here was that I was inconspicuous? I think that two regional champions showing up is going to cause some noise- don't you two have other things to be doing?"

Cynthia shook her head. "We didn't just decide to pop up out of nowhere. Our governments know we're here. Lance expressed some concerns over the tournament's security and volunteered to oversee Kanto's interests in Kindara. As for me- well, do you know what I do?"

"Uh... don't the Silver guard protect the king or something?"

"Gold guard would protect the king if we had one. As it is, they protect Queen Johanna. But I'm in the Silver guard, so my job is to protect the royal couple's eldest child- the Princess of Sinnoh. As captain of Silver, I am essentially her personal bodyguard."

"Well no offense, but in that case maybe you should be in Sinnoh guarding said body?"

"I would love to be in Sinnoh. Unfortunately, the Princess has decided to compete in the tournament."

Cynthia looks bitter, and I feel a pang of sympathy for her. Guarding a Princess' life must be harrowing at the best of times, and seeing her enter into a tournament where people are killed as a matter of routine must be a nightmare for Cynthia. Even somewhere like the auditorium was bad from a defensive point of view- too many angles, too many people.

"You guys let the royal family participate in the Kindara tournament? Isn't that a little... risky? The Princess must have convinced the hell out of you to be allowed to come here."

"She didn't even want to come. Wouldn't have if it weren't for-" She cuts herself off.

"Weren't for what?"

"Never mind. Not your worry."

"Well, I guess that explains why you two are here, anyway. But if you two have so much to do, why are you helping Riley with me?"

Cynthia adopts a look of righteous pride. "Because Riley fights for the good of all people. Because we know there is often more to the world than regional boundaries. Because it's the right thing to do. Because-"

"Because Cynthia wants to fuck him and can't get him to notice." Lance blurted out bluntly. Cynthia's face is caught in a frieze of horror before she punches Lance on the back of the head.

"Damn it all, woman-!"

"I do not want to... how can you even suggest I..." Cynthia blushes like mad, and I don't think all of it is from anger. I can't help from laughing.

"You and Riley... seriously?"

She glares at me, and suddenly I remember that you do not become Captain General of the Sinnoh Silver guard by being weak.

"What of it?" She asks me dangerously. I raise my hands placatingly.

"Nothing! It's just... I mean, Riley's a great guy and all, but he'd hit on a fence post if you nailed two melons half way up. How come he doesn't... I mean..." I gesture at Cynthia helplessly, trying to suggest that buxom blonde women as fiercely intelligent as she are not easy to ignore. Lance laughs.

"It's her own damned fault! Riley and her go way back kid- we all learned from the same master. When we were kids Cynthia got herself stuck firmly as a little sister in Riley's mind, and now she can't get back out. It doesn't matter how much she pretties herself up, to Riley she's about as sexually interesting as the furniture."

Lance breaks into deep, roaring laughter again and Cynthia stands up to both retrieve the tea and avoid further embarrassment. Upon returning she delicately places one cup in front of me, a second in front of her own place, and then calmly pours the third cup of tea out on Lance's crotch.

"Pardon us, Ash." She says while Lance curses, "Just a little family scuffle. I hope it doesn't make you think less of us."

"Nope, not really. This feels like training with Riley already." Both of us pause to watch as Lance shoves an ice pack down the front of his pants, then realizes why putting ice on your balls is not a good idea. More curses. "A lot like training with Riley, actually. Does either one of you own a chainsaw?"

"No... why?"

"No reason. Let's just say Riley is a tad... unorthodox."

"I'm afraid you'll find Lance the same way. They're rivals you know."

"Really? You two are guardians then?"

"No." She smiles a little sadly. "I'm what's known as an adept- someone who can feel aura, can use it a little bit, but who can't command it like the guardians can. Lance can't even feel it... although some days I have to wonder. I've never seen him use anything but Ki, however the stronger trainers- which, all modesty aside, we are a part of- all have strong connections with aura even if they can't use it. I take it Riley explained the essential unity of all things? About how aura connects all beings?"

"Sort of. I didn't really get a lot of training. He told me that it was like putting drops of food colouring into a glass of water. Every drop comes from the same place, but none of them turn out the same way."

"Hmmm. That's a lie, but an accurate one. It will do until you can be advanced further. I said that I don't have the power of a true guardian, and I don't, but I have had years of training and I can use what power I have with maximum efficiency. My abilities will seem incredible to you at first, but if you ever complete your training then you'll realize that you will acquire talents even greater. Do you want that Ash? Will you let me help you down the path of aura?"

It was a serious question, and I gave it some serious thought. Months ago Riley had asked me what was essentially the same question, but this was different. Riley couldn't have told me- couldn't have made me understand- the stakes I was playing for. But I knew now. I knew this wasn't a game, knew it was an all or nothing gamble where I'd have to bet my life. Any sane human being would turn their back on it- get up and start running until they found a sane world. I should say no. Should get out of here, get off this island. Take my friends with me and never look back. But...

But.

I nodded slowly. I'd trusted Riley so far, and he hadn't let me down yet. I didn't know Cynthia or Lance, but sensei had told me to trust them without reservation- meaning he trusted them without reservation. And, if I was going to be honest with myself, I was in too deep to turn back now. I'd offered my Pokemon a chance to get out, but realistically I didn't have that option. I knew who my enemies were now, just as I knew that I would have to fight them until I either won or died. If Cynthia was willing to make sure it was the former and not the latter, then I was willing to accept her help.

"Excellent!" Cynthia grins, happy over my acceptance. "Swing by tomorrow and we'll begin with some-"

"Not a chance!" Roars Lance, finally recovering from the tea incident. Cynthia frowns.

"What do you mean? He agreed."

"What? Oh, good! But I meant there's not a chance that you get to wait until tomorrow. Is there any reason you need to leave right now?"

"Well, my friends are-"

"You can make friends when you're dead!"

"That doesn't even-"

"Come on, training time!"

Lance drags me out of my chair and back towards the gym. Cynthia follows us, slightly miffed that Lance countermanded her decision but not angry enough to stop him. Lance pushes the door to the gym open- without even slowing down, for an idiot he's strong- and leads me to the center of the room. He lets go of me and steps backwards to stand beside Cynthia.

"Alright boy, training time. Take it off."

"What?"

"Take. Off. Your. Shirt."

I look at both of them, but neither one shows even a ghost of a smile. Apparently they're serious.

"Right now? Aren't you even going to buy me a drink first?"

"Very funny. I need to get a good look at exactly what Riley's been doing with you. Cynthia needs to do the same, although she's going to focus more on aura while I take care of the physical aspects. So quit being a moron and take off your shirt."

I give them one more suspicious glance before deciding to comply. Hey, they're champions- if they wanted to hurt me, they didn't need to jump through this many hoops to do it. I take off my shirt, and the two of them circle me, staring hard. Occasionally one of them frowns or mutters something. Finally the two of them pull back and stare off into space, distracted.

"Well Cynth? You see what I see?"

Cynthia nods. "Mmm. Foundations."

"Excuse me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry kid. Put your shirt on."

I do so, then ask them exactly what that exercise was supposed to accomplish.

"Riley's taking a big risk with you." Lance tells me. "He trained you for what, a month?"

"A bit more than that. Why?"

"Well, when you're that short on time you tend to rush things. From what I can tell from your body, Riley has been cramming foundations into you like there was no tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Foundations. Building blocks. Like, you can't punch right until you build up strength? Can't dodge right until you build up speed?"

"Okay... why is that a risk?"

"Two reasons. One: It means you have almost no techniques. You've got the skills to pull off some moves, but you don't know how. Two: Building the kind of body you'd need to fight like you're gonna have to takes years of effort. I think Riley's been resorting to... unconventional measures, let us say, to get you into shape fast."

"I was in shape before I met him!" I protest. "Well... sort of. I didn't eat much and I had to run a lot anyway."

Lance shakes his head. "That explains some of it, but not all. Cynthia's been looking at your aura while I examined your body, and she thinks the same sort of thing's been happening. Cynthia?"

Cynthia nodded. "It looks like he's bent the hell out of your aura trying to get it in line before it became a problem. Good thing too, you might not be standing here if he hadn't."

"What? Why not?"

"Aura isn't a problem in most people, but... well, guardians tend to have a lot of it. Want to know what happens to someone with your natural reserve of aura who doesn't tame it?"

"Uhhh..."

"Put a firecracker in a watermelon and you'd have the right idea. It looks like Riley's been working you into the ground trying to get your aura flow opened up so you can channel it. Tamed, controlled aura will heal you, protect you, and can be used as a weapon. Untamed aura can tear you apart if you aren't careful. Remember that the next time you think meditation is boring."

The two of them lean in close and begin to confer in whispers. I stand there, trying to be patient with them. It's a little hard with the image of charred watermelon goop in my head, but I manage. She was just joking, right?

"Alright Ash. Riley seems to have done a damn good job hammering the basic into you, so we've decided we're going to focus on techniques. It's risky- to be honest, I'd like to see you get at least another month of basic- but we don't have time for anything else. What techniques can you already use?"

"Well... I'm not a bad fighter."

"Your style?"

"Uh, Anything-that-works-fu."

"I see. Not classically trained I take it?"

"Naw. I've got a few years of street experience, and Riley did teach me some Kenpo and kickboxing... but we never really had time for more than basic strikes."

"That will change. I've always been more into karate and judo myself- Riley fights like an old woman- but we'll get you up to speed. Anything else?"

I resisted the urge to tell Lance that old woman Riley would kick his ass, and pressed on. "I can use a sword a little."

"What type?"

"You know, I never asked its name? It's oriental of some kind."

"That doesn't mean much Ash. Can you be more specific?"

"Not really. Like a katana but longer and less curvy is the best I can do."

Lance's eyes widen in surprise. "Riley gave you his _fukura-kareru_?"

"Yes." I told him a little defensively. Why wouldn't Riley give me a sword? I was a good apprentice, damn it!

"Okay, okay. What can you do with it?"

"Cut things. The sheath makes a pretty good poking stick too- bugs the hell out of Misty."

Lance grins slightly and Cynthia giggles. "We'll have to teach you an actual school if we have time. I think Iaido would do you good. Okay Cynthia, your turn."

Cynthia nods and begins to take over the questioning period. "What's your aura like kid? What can you do with it?"

"I can punch people with lightning."

"Is that it?"

"What do you mean 'is that it'? I can frigging punch people with frigging lightning!"

"No need to get uppity. So your primary type is electric? What else?"

"Umm... I can hit a lot harder than most people?"

Cynthia waved her hands dismissively. "That isn't a technique, that's just hardening your body with internal aura. Any other aura types? Fire, water, that sort of thing?" I shook my head. "Damn. Well you should at least be able to use any moves your pokemon can."

"I should?"

"You share a bond with them Ash. You should- with effort, of course- be able to pull off the elemental attacks of any pokemon you own. Hell, most Ki users can do that."

"Hey, you try learning this stuff in a month."

Cynthia shrugged, semi apologetically. "Sorry. Riley's put a lot of effort into you- I keep forgetting you're new to this. What kind of pokemon do you have?"

"Well..."

"Ash, you have to trust me. I'll keep your line up a secret."

"Okay. I have a Pikachu, an Eevee, a Feebas and a Riolu. I got Riolu from Riley and I've only had Feebas for a few days."

"What kind of shape are they in?"

"Physically they're great but... well, I wasn't really allowed to battle for a long time..."

Cynthia clucked her tongue sympathetically. "Yeah, Riley gave us some background info. Don't worry Ash, we'll get them battle ready. They can train with our pokemon- if two champions' pokemon can't help them out, then nothing can."

"Great. So... what now? Do I go?"

"Well, actually I think Lance wanted to get some training in tonight."

I blink, and realize that Lance is nowhere to be seen. One moment he had been right there in front of me, and the next he was gone.

"Then where-" I stop. From behind me comes a sputtering noise and an angry whir. I stare at Cynthia, feeling betrayed.

"I thought you said he didn't own one!"

"A chainsaw? He doesn't." She glances behind me and smiles. "That's a hedge trimmer. Good luck Ash- he's faster than he looks."

* * *

><p>'Faster than he looks' my ass. Gardeners everywhere lost a god when Lance decided to go into Indigo force.<p>

Technique training had gone well, if you define well as "without a fatal injury" which I did these days. I'm just not sure that the techniques Lance had taught me were particularly valid ones. They had mostly involved me clinging to a ceiling rafter while the lunatic redhead below me shouted for me to come down and die like a man. When that training was finally over, I thought I would be free to go. No such luck. Lance, after putting away his hedge trimmer, had produced two chainsaws held together by a steel cable.

"I said no chainsaws!" Cynthia shouted at me gleefully while I ran. "I never said anything about chainchucks!"

I had called her some unkind words, but she hadn't really deserved them. After Lance was satisfied that I could survive even the most deadly of ridiculous onslaughts, Cynthia had decided to be kind and let me go back to the hotel to sleep. I left, with a promise to come back next afternoon. Dragging my weary ass through Kindara city I really begin to wonder if this is worth it. Who would be stupid enough to throw their body into the meat grinder for no appreciable reward but a lifetime fear of gardening implements?

Oh right. Me. Fuck it, it still beats Pallet.

Arriving at the hotel, I pause just long enough outside of Gary's door to yell that I'm back. I didn't even stay to listen to his half muffled reply; I was too tired. Shoving open my door and kicking it shut behind me, I take my shirt and shoes off before hitting the mattress hard.

* * *

><p>I awoke among roses, and the world breathed beneath me.<p>

Blinking tiredly, I tried to make sense of what I'd just thought... and where the hell I was. I had gone to bed back at the hotel and I'd woken up...

Where exactly?

I was still lying on my back, that much was the same. Standing up I took a look around and gasped in shock. Wherever it was, it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. I was standing amidst a field of golden, waist-high wheat which shimmered softly in a gentle breeze. Beyond the wheat I could see rolling hills of purple heather which went all the way to the horizon as far as I could tell. To one side of me was a lake, placid but iridescent in the glow of the sunset. And the sky...

The sky was alive.

It was one of those weirdly entrancing sunsets that I'm told are caused by pollution but which are breathtaking nonetheless. Deep, smouldering red skyline transitioned into a salmon pink, which blended perfectly with the soothing indigo of the encroaching night.

The entire scene was shockingly perfect... but strangely creepy. I could see thunderheads forming in the distance and there was a weird tension in the air... sort of an acrid taste in the back of my mouth, a perfect contrast to the pure air blowing off the water. Something was wrong, or about to go wrong, and I couldn't stop it.

Something hit my cheek and I flinched before realizing it was one of the things I'd first noticed: a rose petal. They fell from the sky, most of them a rich, royal blue colour, but there were a few red petals floating around like drops of blood in an otherwise calm sea. Looking around I could see no obvious source for the petals- no roses anywhere in sight.

"A dream then?" I said, idly rolling the petal between my fingers. It felt real... but no, I didn't think it was. This was a dream, I'd decided, but it didn't feel like any dream I'd ever had. I felt strange, like I didn't really belong here. No, that wasn't quite right. I belonged here... just not now.

"_Too soon. You're too early and too late at the same time, aren't you? Can you save her? Will you lead her to light even as the shadows eat you alive?"_

I shake my head, trying to make sense of it all. It's my voice, not Kaelus', and they were my thoughts... but they make no sense. Not yet. I feel strange. Fractured. Incomplete. Can I save who? What from? And where is-

I freeze. I know with that weird certainty that comes in dreams that the answers are here. Slowly, carefully, I turn.

I turn and face the house.

It wasn't here when I first arrived, that I'm sure of, but I'm not really surprised to see it here now. It's a part of this place, and the only reason I didn't see it was because I didn't know enough to look for it. "House" is probably a misnomer- "mansion" would be better, but despite its size I get the feeling that this place is as well loved as any little family cottage. I can sense the endemic happiness here, a feeling of good times had and shared... but something is wrong. Like a tumour in an otherwise healthy patient, something about this place has turned hideously malignant.

Opening the door as silently as possible, I enter. The inside is as impressive as the outside was, but my suspicions are confirmed- strewn about the rooms are the playthings of a child. This place did hold a family, and they loved it... or they used to. My sense of foreboding gets worse. I begin to make my way through the house when I hear something shatter.

Whirling around, I grasp for my knife before realizing that it isn't where it should be. It doesn't matter though. With a little more time to think, I realize that the noise came from upstairs, not behind me. And I might not have my knife, but this place does have a kitchen...

Pulling a cleaver out of its block, I start to grin. Whatever poisoned this place, whatever is responsible for this tension, is upstairs. I'm sure of it. And I now have a good pound of steel to deal with it. Dream apparition or not, it is so gonna get a cleaving.

I ascend the stairs, cursing each unavoidable creak and groan that the ancient wood emits. At the top landing there's a hallway leading both left and right. There are dozens of doors, but all except one are shut and locked, with dark red "X" 's drawn on them in what looked like-

"Blood?" I whisper hoarsely.

I forget the sight soon enough, however, because from the one open door in the hallway there comes another crashing noise and a muffled groan of pain. Gripping the cleaver so hard that it hurts, I sneak up to the door and peek into the room. What I see makes me wish I'd just stayed with the damned roses.

It was human, that was the scariest thing about it. Fucked up and rotted yes, but human nonetheless. A male, probably about my age, but features beyond that were impossible to distinguish. It was made of writhing, blackened shadows that curled about its frame like tendons, and it bore the most hideous grin I had ever seen on its face. All in all it was damned hard to look at- it shifted and changed almost constantly, changing position without appearing to move.

Below it lay the girl.

I thought at first that she was like the shadow thing, fucked up and wrong. A closer glance told me that she was normal, just hurt and sick. She was entirely naked, showing off what might have been a beautiful body if it weren't for the raw, gaping wounds she sported all over herself. Bruises and lacerations were evident all up her sides, and a strange, greeny-black material pulsed within her veins of the left side of her body- I could see it under her damned skin. Her face was mostly obscured by the dark blue hair matted to it with blood, but even so I could tell she was weeping... or trying to weep. She gave off a confused choking noise that suggested her throat was too raw for real sobs.

For a few seconds I just stood there. It wasn't fear that froze me, nor even surprise. It was anger. For a while I was so angry that I literally could not have moved if I tried. Seeing that bleeding wreck of a girl trapped under that thing made me angrier than I'd ever been before- angrier than I thought I was capable of being. The fury building within me shocked me, made me sick... but once I adjusted it helped fuel my will to fight. Without calling out a warning, without giving off a battle cry, without even making a noise I stepped forward and sliced down on its back with the cleaver. I don't know what I was expecting- it was all a dream, wasn't it? Maybe the thing would disappear in a puff of smoke and I'd wake up safe in my bed. That wasn't what happened, but what did happen made a fairly good second prize. The cleaver buried itself in the creatures back, landing just above its shoulder blade. The writhing shadows that made up its body split open and sprayed me with a fan of gore, and it screamed before stumbling forward. It turned on me, hatred in its eyes, and prepared to strike, but it was far too late. The second it was off the girl I stepped in front of her protectively, got a two handed grip on the cleaver and swung down, neatly decapitating the thing. It slumped to the ground... alive. I swear I saw the severed head grin at me, but before I could do anything else both parts of the creature melted into black ichor and seeped through the floorboards.

I stood there, cleaver in hand, breathing hard. I hadn't been scared while fighting the thing- it had all happened too fast for fear- but now I trembled. Adrenaline clanged through my system, and the scent of the things blood (which still liberally coated my arms and front) was starting to make me sick. Dropping the cleaver, I turned back to the girl to make sure she was okay. Funnily enough, the site of a blood splashed madman who recently cut a nightmare apart with a meat cleaver does not reassure her. She recoils from my gaze, pushes herself back into a corner and starts to whimper. I kneel down and take her into my arms as gently as I can, lightly stroking her shoulder. I know- I can remember- what it's like being a half-crazed wreck of a human.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's gone now."

"No."

Even though her voice is laced with fear, it still comes out in a flat, resigned tone that pierces my heart. She sounds so... defeated.

"He'll come back. He always comes back."

"I'll find a way to kill it. For good this time."

"You can't. No one can."

My hug tightens up on her, and I whisper my next words directly into her ear.

"Be strong Hikari. I can't lose you- I won't. Not again. I'll kill him. I promise. I... I love you."

She just kept shaking her head and whimpering. I needed to find some way, any way to get through to her, but she was scared of-

Something gripped me from behind.

* * *

><p>There was a brief period of action followed by a longer pause of awkward silence. May lay beneath me on the floor, one of her arms trapped beneath my right knee and her other arm caught in the grip of my left hand. In my right hand I held a knife and, as I began to wake up fully, I was horrified by the realization that I had it pressed firmly against her left breast, just above the heart.<p>

"Um... so I take it I shouldn't shake you awake anymore?"

I let go of her wrist and carefully remove the knifepoint from her chest. Kicking the remaining blankets off my feet- I must have rolled her to the floor when she grabbed me- I get off of her and lean my head against the bed frame.

"Arceus... I... sorry May. I was dreaming, and you grabbed me, and... sorry."

"It's okay!" She sits up and beams sunnily. A little too sunnily. I must have spooked her pretty bad. I put the knife in its sheath and slide it back under my pillow (its twin I carry on me- the one I brought to Baal's cave) before noticing that the others are all in my room as well. Misty looks at me concerned, whereas Gary and Zoey look on in amusement. Brock just looks Brock like, the default squinty state he enters when no available girls are around.

"Umm... why are we all watching me sleep?"

"Because it's midmorning and you said you wanted me to help you with Feebas? What were you dreaming about anyway?"

I don't like lying to Misty, but luckily this time I get to avoid it. I have a feeling that the dream was important... but it's already faded, leaving nothing but impressions in its wake. I shake my head at her.

"Can't remember. I was fighting something, and when May grabbed me I thought... I don't know what I thought. It's gone now."

"Well then wake up! We should go seize the day!"

"I'd prefer to seize a shirt first. You mind?"

Misty blinks, then looks down for the first time and realizes I'm half naked. Turning bright red, she grabs an equally crimson May and a giggling Zoey and leads them outside.

"The hell's her problem?" I yawn, picking my shirt up from where I dropped it last night and pulling it over my head. "It isn't anything she hasn't seen before. The three of us used to swim together."

"That was years ago Ash." Gary reminds me. "We've all grown up a little since."

True enough... but May had seen me shirtless less than a week ago and hadn't reacted then. Okay, in all fairness she hadn't really seen me at my most flattering angle- I'd been hunched over and scowling. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going on with the girls. Whatever it was, I guess I'd find out when it bit me on the ass.

"Ready?" Gary asked me.

"I'm coming! What's everyone's hurry? No one wanted to train with me yesterday."

Yesterday was a rest day. Besides, Misty needs you if she's gonna be training water types."

"Needs me? Why?"

"Because you're so great at getting her wet. Now come on Romeo, training awaits!"

Gary disappears around the door before I have a chance to throw the complimentary ash tray at his head. Scowling, I pull on my shoes and follow them.

* * *

><p>Angry Misty was frightening, true, but at least angry Misty was fast. Her glare was so intense it would burn the soul right out of you, and there'd be nothing left in your body to feel what she was going to do next. Enraptured Misty, on the other hand, was a whole different kettle of Feebas. She would hug you until your organs ruptured.<p>

"She's so pretty!" Misty said breathlessly, holding her arms open to indicate that I should hand her the Feebas. "Give her here!"

"No! Not until you promise to return her unharmed!"

"Give me the goddamned fish!"

I obeyed reluctantly. It wasn't the first time I'd gotten a request from someone to hold one of my Pokemon- surly, lazy bastards that they were, they were mainly pet species. Pikachu would sometimes go for the attention, but for the most part he and Eevee didn't like it, so I was usually reluctant to hand one of my Pokemon over to anyone. Fortunately Feebas seems to soak up the attention like a sponge, and Misty lavishes her with the stuff.

"Aww, she's like my Magikarp before he evolved! Such a cutie!"

I shake my head in wonder, and Gary nudges me in the stomach.

"Don't be surprised Ashy boy! She always did have a weird taste in cute. Case in point being your scrawny ass."

I elbow him in the gut, and he stumbles off laughing and wheezing. The six of us had headed downtown to a building that was apparently reserved for contestants to train in. The stated purpose of this exercise was to get some training in for all of us, but also as a way to get to know each other better- we'd sort of just been thrown together, and it was a good opportunity to get acquainted as a group. The walk down from the hotel had been fairly jovial, filled with idle chatter and jokes. I had to give Gary credit for that one- he was damned good at breaking the ice- but I found to my surprise that I'd joined in with him. Either I was getting more sociable, or else constant exposure to imminent death had finally driven me over the edge. Either way, the girls' peals of laughter had been enough to make me put in an effort.

I had, somewhat reluctantly, left Riolu behind. He hadn't been happy, but I'd promised him training with Cynthia and Lance at the earliest opportunity. I knew- knew for a fact- that my friends would keep him a secret if I asked them to, but they would have questions of their own. One's I wasn't yet prepared to answer. Besides, as the first chance to use our pokemon in real combat got closer, I got more and more paranoid about revealing him. I needed every advantage I could get, and if Riolu could learn fast enough, could be as strong as I thought he could be, then he was going to be a real asset. An ace up my sleeve, if you would.

So with Riolu at home, today was going to mainly be about Feebas. Pikachu and Eevee were fine physically, and I couldn't really refine their moves until I had Cynthia or Lance to train with me. Feebas, on the other hand, I could help. I had a water type who needed to learn, and a water type trainer as a best friend, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what to do.

"Think you can help her Mist?"

"Of course I can help her. You go make yourself useful somewhere." Misty says, shooing me away. "I'll have her up to spec in no time!"

I was a little leery about leaving a pokemon I haven't had for very long alone with someone else, but Misty always had a deft touch with water types. She, Feebas and Starmie head off to the pool area to get some water training in, and I head off to find something to do. I decide that it would be churlish of me to let Misty train my pokemon at the cost of ignoring her own, so I take a few of her pokeballs and open them up. Her Corsola, Gyarados and Staryu are a little surprised to see someone other than their trainer releasing them, but they relax when they see that it's me. Despite my earlier prohibition from battling, Misty and Gary had recognized my knack for strategy and had often let me run through a few battle manoeuvres with their pokemon. Gary's had always been too tempted to impress me- I guess our semi-rivalry in battling rubbed off on them- but Misty's were as relaxed around me as my own were. They sat and listened- at least, I think Staryu was listening, it's a little hard to tell with him- while I discussed general battle strategy with them and had them run a few stamina exercises. Pikachu stuck around to watch, but Eevee wandered off to go help May train her pokemon. Her team wasn't bad from what I could see, but they didn't look classically battle trained. Eevee and May's team leader, an enormously fierce Blaziken, were acting as demonstrators to get the rest of her pokemon into combat shape.

All in all, I started to get hopeful. Things had been bad recently- Riley's revelations had shaken me, made me wonder if I could do this- but the level of cooperation between my friends and I had started to restore my confidence. Our pokemon were doing fine and learning lots of new tactics, Cynthia and Lance had arrived with the prospect of advanced training and some seriously powerful allies- hey, maybe everything would be fine. Maybe-

"Ash, come quick!"

At Misty's shout I ran over to where she stood by the pool, May beside her. The two of them were right on the edge, shouting words of encouragement at the water.

"What?"

"It's Feebas- I think she's learning water gun!"

Feebas lay in the water, obviously struggling with something. I lean in with the girls and begin to cheer her on.

"Come on girl, you can do it!"

The three of us stand there, urging Feebas to do her best. Suddenly her mouth opens and I, assuming the worst, hit the deck. The girls were not as paranoid or as fast, so they caught the brunt of the huge blast of water Feebas had just shot out of her mouth. Absolutely soaked, the two of them turn towards me, coughing and sputtering.

"Well Ash, she sure is a powerhouse!" Misty chokes out.

"A little warning would have been nice- Ash? Are you okay?" May asks concerned. She's worried, and I guess I don't blame her. I must be extremely pale right now. That isn't because I'm in danger however- no, it's merely because there isn't any blood left in my face. It's all gone somewhere... further down. The girls may have taken a lot of factors into account when buying their new clothes, but as it turned out "doesn't go see-through when wet" was not one of them.

"_Blue. Not particularly original Misty, but at this point I don't care."_ I think. _"And May's is pink. I should have expected that from her, but it might not have been her choice. It's probably hard to find a bra in her size."_

"Ash? Are you okay?"

I mumbled out something that sounded like "gnuuhhhhhhh" before passing out backwards. The last thing I remember thinking was:

"_I was wrong earlier. I might survive Kindara, but there's no chance in hell I'll survive Misty when I wake up."_

Closing my eyes, I let the darkness take me. There were dreams this time too... but they involved different girls and they were a lot more fun.

* * *

><p><strong>That scene with Hikari was based on a dream I had. Scared the crap out of me.<strong>

**Things are going to start moving faster next chapter, because I feel I've finally got the story turned around and can now get going on the battles.**

**Please review.**


	17. Chapter 17: Sometimes It Hurts

**This is an auspicious moment for **_**Angel In The Machine**_**. It is a time of big round numbers- always frightening things to the human mind. This update marks my fic's entry into the 100,000 word category (the 100,000****th**** word was "and" depending on how you count), and **_**Angel**_** recently celebrated its 100****th**** fav (thank you Meteorthunder3). As well, I just broke 200 pages in Microsoft Word.**

**Well... it made me feel good anyway.**

**Now I know these chapters are a little late- I'd wanted to have them up before December- but trust me when I say I did well to get them up as soon as I have. A lot of very important things happen in these next two chapters, and I wanted to get them right rather than forcing them out.**

**To my reviewers:**

**noshadowone: You're right, Ash does need a water type... which is why he has one. Feebas. She's been there since Chapter 12.**

**Tantei1412: Thanks. No new pokemon this update, but Dawn will be coming up in Chapter 19. Hope you'll stick around.**

**Armexis: Thank you. I'll do my best not to abandon it... it's just that I'm coming up on finals so I don't have much time to write. Again I repeat to the FFN community: If I ever do abandon this fic, I will tell everyone that I've done so. If this fic just suddenly stops without warning, that probably means I've died accidently. Cheerful thought!**

**Anonymous Reviewer Who Asked About The Spirit Gun: I have no problems with being inspired by other sources, but I usually avoid directly taking things. It sort of demonstrates a total lack of creativity on my part... unless I'm mocking something. So the answer is probably no, but I don't like to rule anything out. Thanks for the review.**

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><p><strong>17-Sometimes It Hurts<strong>

"_**Prostitution is when someone sells their body for money. Romance is when someone sells their body for chocolates and lies."**_

_**-Ash Ketchum**_

There are many reasons a man might want to lay low for a while, and Misty Waterflower was all of them. I had taken to hiding from her recently, and lest you think that inconsiderate of me, let me hasten to point out that avoiding Misty was more a question of survival than it was one of choice. Misty, for all her bluntness, was frighteningly good at reading me. If she believed for one second that I was thinking about her... uh, her... well, her "bits", for lack of a better term, then I might as well go back and ask Baal to take me in. He wasn't quite as nice to look at as Misty was, but he was a damned sight less scary.

Crap. Thinking of how nice Misty was to look at was the opposite of what I was trying to achieve. For the last few days the image of Misty and May by the poolside had been running through my head, popping up at the most inconvenient of times. I need to get this out of my system. Now. Distractions can be fatal, and there are few things more distracting than two beautiful pairs of-

"Ash!"

"Eyes! I swear I was going to say eyes!"

"What?"

Lance stares at me confused. I don't really blame him. When I'd told him I'd need to hide out at his manor for a while, he and Cynthia had been thrilled- it meant that they could train me all day every day, without running the risk of someone seeing me going back and forth and asking inconvenient questions. They'd set me a hard course, and I'm sure they were expecting a range of reactions- horror, disbelief, refusal to cooperate- but the mildly distracted light-headedness in which I'd spent the last several days had caught them by surprise. I hadn't complained about the hedge trimmer, and the chain-chucks didn't make me blink twice. Over the last week Lance had been running through his gamut of weapons, and I'd dealt with them all in sort of a dreamy haze. Lance sighs, sets down his most recent tool- I don't know its name, but it looks like a scalpel had sex with a pool noodle- and gestures at me to follow him. He leads me back to the kitchenette where Cynthia sits at the table, sipping some type of beverage while waiting for her turn to train. She looks up at us curiously as we enter- it's much too early for her allotted lesson time- but doesn't speak as Lance has me sit down. He takes the seat opposite me and folds his hands over one another.

"Ash." He begins, "Cynthia and I have noticed that you've been a little... distracted lately."

"Oh... sorry... I just- my mind has been... elsewhere recently." I give him a slightly guilty grin. "I won't slack off."

"We aren't really worried about your work ethic." Cynthia pipes up. "We're worried about your sanity. Do you have any idea what happened to the last person who trained with Lance?"

"That wasn't my fault!" he interjects. "Besides, he'll be walking again in no time."

"Then there was the guy before that..."

"He got better! They've already got him on solid food again-"

"My point" Cynthia said, raising her voice to be heard over her brother "is that Lance does not mess around during training. His reputation is such that nobody in their right mind will train with him one on one anymore... and you say that you've been distracted? What in the name of Arceus could be more distracting than what he did to you yesterday?"

"That was valid training!" Lance complains. "Besides, even you make your students do weight training."

"Yeah, but... underwater?"

"It builds character!"

"He has character. At least, he did until you made him do those endurance exercises. Remember the endurance exercises Lance?"

"Totally not my fault. I don't even know how all those snakes got in there in the first place. They must have given me one of Steven's suitcases."

Cynthia rolls her eyes, muttering something that sounds a lot like: "Men...!"

"Anyway, Ash." Lance turns back to me. "Riley told us that you were a bit... livelier. What's bothering you? You're doing fine in the training- much better than I'd expected, really- but you need to be focused in a real fight. Is something wrong?"

"Well... yeah, sort of. I have this problem... and, I sort of need advice..."

"Problem? Ha! Okay, who do you want to kill?"

"Uh-"

"That Gary kid? Knew it; rivals are such a pain in the ass. Okay, we'll need a bear trap and some jello-"

"No! No one needs to die! I just need some advice!"

"What about?"

"Well, uh... that is to say... well, Lance how much do you know about... you know..."

"Spit it out!"

"Um, I need some advice about girls."

Iced tea. It must have been ice tea Cynthia was drinking, because that's what hits me in the head as she spits it out in shock. She coughs once or twice, before laying her head on the table and bursting out into laughter.

"Hey, I was serious! Cynthia, stop- uh, Lance?"

Lance's habitual scowl has frozen, and his eyes have glazed over.

"Lance? Is something wrong?"

"Nuh... nothing! Nothing is wrong! Girl troubles?" He says, speaking so loudly I have to lean back a bit.

"Yes, I-"

"You've come to the right man! I am a master of the amorous arts!"

"That's great, but I just-"

"GIRLS ARE NO PROBLEM! I HAVE SPOKEN!" He's shouting now, and his face has gone the brick-red colour of a man who's about two seconds away from snapping. Cynthia's laughing fit continues until she'd nearly as crimson as Lance, but eventually she gets herself under control, rests her head on one of her hands and smiles at him.

"So, master of the amorous arts, why don't you tell Ash about girls?"

Lance stutters, obviously having difficulty in answering. "Uh... they... they respect strength... and, uh... they think capes are cute..."

Cynthia snorts. "Really Lance? Half of the human race has passed you by, hasn't it? Do you really base all your knowledge of women on what Lorelei likes?"

"No! I know Agatha too."

"Agatha isn't a woman. Agatha is a sack of concentrated evil and calcium dust shaped like a woman. So it's pretty much just Lorelei."

"Lorelei is an honourable woman! Unlike some that I know..."

"Excuse me? What, pray tell, do you mean by that?"

"Well, Lorelei's never had her ass tattooed..."

"I was drunk! And how would you know about Lorelei? Checked, have you?"

"Uh, guys? As funny as this is, can we talk about me for a bit? I sort of really need help."

The two of them redden and cough embarrassedly before turning back to me. "Sorry kid," apologizes Cynthia. "It's just that Lance isn't the best person to ask about this. Neither is Riley, come to think of it. Is there something you need to know about girls? I can try to help."

"Well... there's sort of this girl. Two girls, actually. And they've got, like... uh, emotions and stuff..." I trail off. Lance shrugs at me, looking equally baffled, whereas Cynthia claps her hand over her face and sighs deeply.

"Arceus above, you have Riley syndrome. Is there something about being a guardian that says you have to be brain-dead? Truly? Do you think you can describe your situation in a little more depth than 'they have emotions and stuff'"?

I make the attempt. I start off with the most recent event- the poolside incident, in which I succinctly succeeded in making an ass of myself- but then I realize I'll have to explain about meeting May before Cynthia can understand the whole problem, and before I know it I go back to when I met Misty... well, I ended up talking for a while. Cynthia sits there, nodding in all the right places, while Lance just gets more and more lost. I don't blame him- talking about this really put everything in perspective, and I hadn't realized how complicated my social life had become until I started telling someone else. If anything, I feel more lost now that I've thought about everything.

"So." Cynthia states, nearly an hour after I began. "You have this best friend, who happens to be female. She ignores one of the most popular boys in the school, has stuck by your side for years despite the social pitfalls that entails, and has defended you before all comers. Correct?"

"Misty. Yeah."

"And there is this May girl who has recently appeared. She's your age, you two get along really well, and you just happened to save her life. Correct?"

"Basically."

"These two are acting strange around each other, and you think they're talking to each other about you behind your back?"

"Yeah."

She steeples her fingers. "And you, in all honesty, are asking me why this is."

"Um... yes?"

She stares at me coolly for a minute, before sighing. "Ash... I truly mean no offense, but are you serious? You really don't know?"

"I have this theory... but... no, it can't be."

"It is Ash. Believe me."

"Are you sure?'

"Yes. Girls have delicate hearts, but they aren't that hard to understand. They feel what you think they feel."

I lower my gaze. "They hate me then. I knew it."

Lance nods sagely, but Cynthia falls out of her chair. Sitting back up, she growls at me in irritation. "What? Why the bloody hell would you think that?"

"Eh? Well, Misty and I always fought a lot... and I guess I never really did treat May that well. I mean, the two of them take pretty good care of me, and I just sort of bitch at them. And they were pretty angry when I saw... you know, at the pool, so I guess they don't really want me thinking that way-"

I got no further in my explanation, as Cynthia picked me up by the collar and started shaking me.

"You...! You bloody...! Arggh! You goddamned crusader!"

"Crusader?" I ask her, trying to break her grip.

"Yes! What the hell is it with men? Nine out ten times they're just idiots who stare and laugh, and never, ever think, and then you find one you think is different and- bam! He's a crusader! You bastards come by with your big dreams and your big fight, and some cute, innocent girl has the bad luck to notice you and want to be part of your-"

Lance grabs her arms.

"Cynthia! Cynth, calm down! He isn't Riley, okay? He's just a kid, ease up!"

Cynthia stops struggling against her brother before taking a deep breath and calming down. She lets go of my shirt, turns away from us, and folds her hands over her chest, huffing.

"Um, I guess I hit a sore spot?" I ask Lance, still confused.

"That's probably a fairly safe assumption, yeah. Sorry about that."

"Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine. But it always pays to learn from your mistakes kid- tell me, why do you think she reacted that way?"

"Uh... well, she's fairly attractive but also pretty strong, so I suppose most guys see her as either a challenge or a threat. Based on what she said, I'd guess that she's had a long life of men trying to bring her down or dominate her just to prove they were better. And the one guy who's different can't even understand her as a woman, only as a comrade... am I getting close?"

Cynthia turns back around and smiles slightly, but Lance furrows his brow.

"What? Fuck no, she's just on the rag. She always gets this way when-"

Cynthia was, at heart, a teacher. During the time I'd spent with her she had patiently guided me down the path of aura, and at every step she had demonstrated competence and efficiency. Not only that, but she possessed the drive and compassion of a truly excellent educator- she was completely determined to see me succeed, but never once had she ignored my well-being by pushing me too far. She was demanding, but she never asked more than I could give. Perhaps most importantly, she had encouraged me to learn by watching her- her example had taught me not only how to fight, but why I should bother in the first place. Now she decides to teach me a new technique by demonstrating to me exactly how you shove an insensitive bastard who thinks your emotional problems can be explained by menstruation through a wall.

"I needed that." She grins in satisfaction. I walk up to the Lance shaped hole, prodding the shattered wall.

"I don't think they make spackle in champion sized tubes. You could tape a garbage bag over it..."

"The wall is unimportant. What is important at this moment is your problem. Have a seat and we'll talk about it."

I glance at her, then the chair, then back at her, trying to work out exactly how close I could get to the door before being brought down. She snorts.

"Relax, I'm just going to talk. No more violence. Besides, if you can read me that well, you might just be salvageable. You don't seem nearly as hard-headed as Lance is."

"Believe me Cynthia, that's exactly what's worrying me at this moment." I tell her, trying to ignore the groans coming from beyond the hole.

"I'm not going to throw you through a wall. Just have a seat, okay?"

I shrug and acquiesce. I hadn't known Cynthia and Lance that long, but long enough to know that I would never understand families. If I had said to Cynthia what Lance had said she would probably just have yelled at me; the more violent reactions she always saved for her brother. They were close despite that though- when I'd asked about what having a sibling was like a few days ago, Lance had told me that he'd die for her if he didn't kill her first.

"That doesn't make any sense." I'd told him.

"Siblings rarely do." He'd replied, grinning ruefully. I'd shaken my head in disbelief.

"I guess I just can't imagine being that close to someone who pissed me off that much."

"Really? Then why do you put up with that Oak kid?"

I hadn't been able to answer that. Hadn't even been able to understand it, but as Cynthia and I reseat ourselves I felt like I got it a little better. Cynthia felt absolutely no compunctions about kicking the crap out of her brother, that much was clear... but there had never been any hate involved. She'd do it again in an instant, but I doubted she could ever bring herself to truly hate him.

After reseating herself, Cynthia gives me a reassuring smile that I am far too bright to fall for.

"So. There are two girls in your life, and you have problems understanding them."

I nod, a little unsure. The sentence was correct, but the emphasis she'd placed on the word 'two'... I ignored it for now, as she continues to speak.

"Well, the first thing I can tell you is that I can't just give you the answers. I think I might know what's wrong, but it won't help if I just tell you. You have to work it out yourself if you want it to mean something."

"Then what do I do? I don't understand girls!"

"May I make a suggestion Ash? Stop focusing on how they feel, and be selfish for a second. What do you feel about them?"

"They're good people and... hell, I don't know. They're special! I just... haven't figured out why. Gary has this theory but..." Gary was wrong. Gary had to be wrong. For most of puberty I'd attempted to bury any emotions I'd held for Misty, not encourage them with hope. Even if she'd reciprocated, it came down to the inescapable fact that she deserved better. I hated that phrase- it sounds like something off a B list drama- but it was true. Kanto was a military state, and I couldn't use Ki. That made me trash, at least in the eyes of society at large. Misty wouldn't have cared; she never really gave a damn what other people thought. But I cared. She held status and respect, two things I lacked, and I'd be damned if I was the one who'd take them away from her.

But things were changing. Aura, demons, battles... my professional world had been so volatile in the last little bit that I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when my personal world changed too. I had been surprised though- I'd been so caught up in blood and steel I hadn't noticed that Misty and I were acting differently. That would have been confusing enough on its own- it isn't easy to know someone for four years and then suddenly realize that both of you have no idea where you stand with regards to the other- but it had been complicated significantly by the May factor.

May with the big breasts and the bigger heart. May with the appetite. May with her strange desire to live life like a fairy tale, and her even odder conviction that I was playing the hero's role. I suppose it was hardly surprising for me to feel something for her. She was a good looking girl, she remained unaware of my past or my status, she came from Hoenn, a place where martial might was less critical to reputation than Kanto, and I had saved her life, giving me a viable in. If it were just that- just a little bit of lust on my part, and a little bit of naiveté on hers- I could have just waited it out. Waited until she'd found someone new or lost interest. The problem was that that didn't seem to be happening. I had fully expected May to be enamoured with 'her saviour' for about two days, and then move on. I wouldn't have blamed her. Hoenn was peaceful, and it wouldn't have been too shocking for a young girl from there to attach misplaced nobility and honour to a soldier. But as much as she had acted according to my expectations, she'd also behaved in ways I hadn't predicted. She teased yes, and acted a little shy. Flirted a bit. But where I had expected nothing but frivolity, May had acted with a strange, sure serenity. Almost as if...

Almost as if she was serious.

I cut off that train of thought, and return to paying attention to Cynthia as she resumes speaking.

"Talk to them. Don't avoid them. I know you've done a lot of running in your life Ash, but there comes a point when you have to make a stand. If you run now, I think you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Misty is precious to you- no, don't flinch, she is- and I think May will become that way if you let her. These are dangerous times Ash, and Kindara is a dangerous place. Whatever the future holds, the three of you should face it together."

"You sound like Gary."

"What a horrifically frightening thought. But if that's what he's saying, listen to him. He's right."

I sit there quietly, digesting her words. Eventually I come to the realization that she is entirely correct- things have been a little weird with the girls lately, but there's no way I want to lose them. I don't want to lose any of my friends.

Friends. Just friends. Gary can't be right. Cynthia- if she's implying what I think she's implying- can't be right.

"Uh, Cynthia, can I-"

She smiles. "Of course you can have this evening off Ash. Go and speak with them."

"I will. I just hope they haven't spent the last few days convincing each other what a jerk I am."

Cynthia laughs. "I'm sure they haven't. They're mature young women, Ash- they have much better things to talk about than you."

* * *

><p>"So what kind of clothes does Ash like?" May asked cheerfully as she flipped through the racks, looking for the perfect outfit. Misty sighed, venting some of the frustration that had been building up for the last four years.<p>

"He doesn't like clothes period."

May grinned mischievously. "So he's that type is he?" From the pile of clothes she pulled a tube top made of just enough material for a good sized handkerchief. It would have been considered tight on Misty, but on May...

"I guess I'll need a new wardrobe. Daddy prefers that I dress like a nun."

"No, I meant he doesn't even notice clothes. How do you even plan on fitting into that?"

"Lift and tuck, girl!"

"Yeah, right. On me it's more like 'flop and fold'."

"Oh. My. Arceus! Stop being so down on yourself. You may think Ash doesn't pay any attention but he sure as hell noticed you by the pool, didn't he?"

"You mean he noticed you." Misty mumbled, not looking up. May glanced at her surprised, and her eyes softened in understanding. She replaced the top onto the rack, and then gently placed her hand on Misty's shoulder.

"Is that what this is about? I told you it wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like May?" Misty said tersely, angrily sifting through clothes so she didn't have to look at May. "He saw my... you know... and then he runs away! Stupid jerk!"

"Misty-"

"I'm not ugly! I'm not!"

May winced, knowing that her friend was venturing into dangerous territory. "No! You aren't! How could you even think he thought that?"

"If he didn't, then why isn't he here?"

May rolled her eyes. She respected Misty a lot- the girl was strong, self-sufficient and intelligent, and May had always wished that she herself possessed those traits in greater quantity. But Misty had her own view of the world, and it was occasionally quite hard to get her to see the obvious.

"I don't know Misty. Maybe because somebody threw a valise at his head when we woke him up?"

"That... I tripped-"

"Yeah, you seemed to trip a lot in between the time Ash woke up and the time he left. Do I even want to know why you kept fingering that spoon in front of him?"

"Er..."

"I thought not. He didn't leave because he hates you Misty, he left because he was embarrassed." May also felt that Ash had left because of a healthy sense of self-preservation, but she was too kind to say it in front of Misty.

Misty considered it and decided that May might have a point, but the reason that Ash had left was not quite as worrisome to her as the reason he had passed out in the first place. Misty (although she would rather be eaten by rabid Sentret than admit it) would have liked to have thought it was because of her, but she found that hard to believe. Ever since Ash had passed out, she had taken the time to truly observe May, the way she looked and the way she acted, and... well...

Misty didn't have much hope. Her observations were disMaying, to say the least.

Where Misty had lines, May had curves. Where Misty went in, May went out- with the exception of her stomach which was just as taught as Misty's own, something the redhead felt was entirely unfair. Surely no one could have curves in all the right places and avoid curves everywhere else? Misty wasn't a lesbian, but she didn't have to be to be depressingly certain how much further May would develop. Puberty was not done with either one of them, and Misty was increasingly certain that May was going to finish up as wet-dream fodder, whereas she herself would be... well, normal. It wasn't fair damn it! There were thousands of girls just like Misty, girls who developed normally, but no, Arceus couldn't have made her rival one of those. It wasn't enough that he'd made her sisters so beautiful, now she had to compete with this callipygian demiurge for a boy she thought no one else had even noticed-

"Misty?" May asked. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry. I drifted off. So... you and Ash, huh?"

"That was the worst segue I've ever heard. Boys could do better."

"Well I'm curious. I mean, you seem normal. Why him?"

"Are you saying he isn't normal?"

" We're still talking about Ash, right? The guy who nearly stabbed you while half asleep?"

"I shouldn't have surprised him."

"The guy who routinely disappears for hours and comes back covered in blood?"

"Well... maybe he just trains hard..."

"The guy who-"

"Okay, I get it! He isn't normal; so what? He's kind- sort of-, he's cute- sort of- and he's the only boy I've ever met who I wouldn't mind staring a little more. So what if he's got a few quirks? I don't care."

"Well you should!"

"Why?"

"Because- because I was here first!"

Misty clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. She'd said it. May sighed, and then nodded to her.

"I know. We talked about that too."

"May-"

"That isn't what scares you, is it Misty? We already spoke about this, and you agreed at the time. You said it was his choice, and that however it went there wouldn't be hard feelings."

"I- I lied, actually I-"

"No. I can tell Misty. You didn't lie then, you're lying now. There aren't any hard feelings between us are there? It doesn't bother you to compete for him Misty; I don't even think that sharing him would bother you. I think you're scared you might not get to do either."

"What?"

"You think that if he has me he won't need you don't you? You truly believe that if we offered ourselves to him together he'd still reject you."

"I don't-"

"Misty." May hissed, grabbing her shoulder even more tightly, "Ash. Is. Not. Like. That. Okay? I've known him a few days and I can tell. He isn't someone who would throw away years of friendship on a whim."

"How can you be so sure? Damn it, get him talking about pokemon and he forgets about me- what do you think is going to happen when his balls finally drop and he notices you?"

May smiled sadly before answering. "Did you ever think that maybe I might have the same worries about you?"

"Huh?"

"You're up against a girl who knows a bit about boys. I'm up against a girl who's known the boy I like for years longer than I have, a girl who's his best friend. She knows his likes and his dislikes, she can talk for hours about all the good times they've had together. So tell me Misty, if you're worried that he won't want you because of me, what about the reverse? Why wouldn't he prefer the girl who's always been by his side to the girl he's know for a few days?"

"May..."

"Take a lesson from me Misty- don't let it get you down. Press forward everyday as best you can, and he'll notice you in the end. That's why we're here, remember? We need to pick up some hunting clothes- Ash's libido won't know what hit it. Now I think you'd look great in this-"

"Why?" Asked Misty, ignoring the light yellow skirt May was holding. "If we're after the same thing, then why help me?"

"Because we're friends. Besides, I want everyone to be happy. You, me, Ash- we'll work it out somehow! Now try this on!"

"I'm not really much of a skirt person."

"You are now!"

May hadn't known Misty for long, but she was empathetic enough to have picked up on a lot of the girl's personality in a short period of time. Misty's normal method of shopping was fairly bland- go in, find something that fits, leave. She would never have spent any significant amount of time with a mirror to see if this skirt went with that top, if this accessory complimented this outfit perfectly, if this was cuter or that was cuter. It wasn't that she didn't care about her appearance; it was just that she associated such behaviour with her sisters, and thus stupidity. She would have never tried it on her own, but say a certain brunette could convince her...

May hadn't even had to try that hard. With a few choice comments and a bit of subtle encouragement May had Misty enthusing over the shopping trip as rabidly as any one of her sisters. The two of them spent a happy afternoon there, all thoughts of rivalry or Ash forgotten. Despite their mutual obsession over clothing, neither girl was particularly vapid. It was merely that amidst the suspense and uncertainty that came with any set of potentially fatal trials, it was pleasant to focus on a mindless, harmless task. Both girls drew immense comfort from the tranquility of the activity, and it had gotten quite late by the time both were satisfied that they had what they'd come for. Misty smiled, tired but content, as their last purchase was rung up and paid for. She stretched, yawning, before turning to May.

"I suppose that it's back to the hotel for food?"

"Not... quite." Smiled May, putting on her most innocent look. Misty felt a chill go down her spine. She'd seen that look before, and it meant May was about to get devious, something she was surprisingly good at.

"But... we got everything... where are we going now?"

"Oh... nowhere special. I just want to pick up a few 'battle items'."

"Huh? But the Pokemart is back that way!"

"Not the kind of battle I'm talking about. Now come on!"

May grabbed Misty by the arm, leading her through the mall. Misty didn't resist too hard- Ash wasn't the only one weak to May's puppy dog look- but she did follow her new friend with a modicum of caution. She was well aware that while May always had good intentions, the outcomes of her actions could be... well, mixed at best.

It was simply bad luck on Misty's part that she was watching May's face in order to divine the girl's intentions. It meant she wasn't watching her surroundings, and that meant she didn't realize what kind of store she'd been dragged into until it was far too late.

"Come on May, quit dragging me! Where are we going?"

May giggled slightly, but didn't slow down or let go of Misty. "Where do you think silly? We bought tops..."

"Yeah..."

"And skirts..."

"So?"

"And we got shoes. So what's left?"

"Nothing. Unless you count... unless...you wouldn't..."

Misty trailed off, and finally took in her surroundings. The two girls were again surrounded by racks of clothes, depending on how you defined the word "clothes". Misty had always been under the impression that to qualify as clothing there had to be more fabric involved. She instinctively put her back to May's, trying to decrease her blind spots.

"May! Where the hell are we!" She hissed out of the corner of her mouth, trying not to draw attention.

"Duh. We're in _Soledad's Secret_. It's the number one shop in all of Kanto for sleepwear- I couldn't believe it when I heard they had one out here!"

"May, these things aren't for sleeping in, they're for fu- what the hell is that!"

"I think it's a T-back. Want it?"

"I'm fifteen!" Misty practically wailed.

"Get with the times, girl. Fifteen is the new twenty."

"You know May, if I had to wear one of those things on my ass all day constricting blood flow I'd probably be that bad at math too. Let's get out of here!"

"No. Not until you buy something nice."

"Buy something? You want me to... gross!"

"Oh, for the love of- you aren't going to show anyone! They're for you."

"Me?"

"You've been ragging on yourself. Constantly. We aren't leaving here until you feel like the sexiest girl on the planet. You really don't own anything like this?"

"No! Look May, I don't know what things are like in Hoenn, but in Kanto all soldiers are equivalent, whether male or female. We don't need to sexually objectify ourselves."

May started to hum while flipping through the racks. "If you're so equivalent, then shouldn't you wear whatever you want and not give a crap what people think of you? I don't know much about Kanto Misty, but I do know Hoenn. And in Hoenn, anyone who thinks I'm a slut because I like to dress a certain way can feel free to go to hell."

Misty opened her mouth to respond, then shut it as no retort presented itself. Eventually she settled on: "Uh... really?"

May nodded. "Oh, I usually tone it down because I don't like to upset daddy. But so what if I like to dress sexy? Or if I want to try butch, or Goth, or whatever. It's my life, isn't it?"

"But... people judge you by how you dress..."

"Yep. And anyone who does that isn't worth knowing anyway. Now come on, join me. Please? Nobody says they have to be for Ash. Go find something you like."

Misty wavered internally, and May grinned.

"They have panties with little Azurills on them..."

Misty flushed, and May's grin got wider. Her war against Misty's insecurities was far from over... but she'd won this battle.

* * *

><p>Gary was a generous, sociable person, and there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't regret that. He liked people, and he liked events that involved socialization- parties, holidays, barbeques... and birthdays. Above everything else he liked birthdays, and mine was his favourite of all.<p>

I didn't know when it was of course, but that didn't seem to faze him in the slightest. He held my birthday on a different day every year, often without telling me. I'd be walking along, minding my own business, when he'd jump out from around a corner, scream "Surprise!", hurl a cupcake at me and then drag me off to his house where presents and a bemused Misty usually awaited. I'd overreacted the first year he'd tried it- I did not take kindly to being surprised in those days- but the hospital had managed to remove the noisemaker eventually, and Gary had been able to walk normally in a few days, so it turned out okay in the end. Misty always gave presents that were fairly normal, and I always made sure to thank her for them- there wasn't an uneven table or chair left in the orphanage after I put all the textbooks she gave me to good use. Gary's however... well, those were a little more varied. I think my favourite was the year he'd given me a spray-can of whipped cream. When I'd asked him what it was for, he'd just pointed at Misty and winked. It had taken a little longer for Gary to start walking normally that time (Misty had a better arm than me), but I hadn't been able to stop laughing for days.

Anyway, long story short, Gary liked to give presents. As I stare at the stone slab lying in the middle of my hotel room, I wished that he'd put a little more thought into them.

"Okay." I say, wondering whether to thank him or smack him, "I'm trying to figure out what to ask first: How much you paid for the tombstone, or how you managed to get it up here."

"Absolutely nothing!" He tells me, grinning. "Brock's a rock type user. He made it for free. As for how we got it up here... well, I really hope our bellhop's insurance covers scoliosis. Like it?"

"Could you have maybe avoided paraphrasing the epitaph?"

"I had to make it general. Brock and I don't know exactly how Misty's going to kill you; we just know it'll be funny."

I turn back to the inscription on the stone, wondering if listening to Cynthia and coming back was a good idea after all.

_HERE LIES ASH KETCHUM_

_Born, fucked up, died._

"You guys are dicks." I growl as they break up into laughter. Gary's presents were usually more for comic effect than anything else, and there's no doubt this is a present- they even put a damn bow on it, a bright blue one perched jauntily on top of the stone.

I open my mouth to further convey to Brock and Gary the abyssal depth of their dickishness, but shut it with a snap as Misty and May's voices come floating down the hall.

"...can't believe you made me wear it all!"

"They're clothes! What are you supposed to do but wear them?"

"Yeah, but... there are people out..."

"So you'd prefer to not be wearing clothes?"

"No! Just... how am I supposed to fight in these?"

"I dunno. Wiggle your hips a little?"

"May!"

"It's always worked for me."

Gary coughs nervously and Brock pats me on the back. "Good luck Ash. Uh... what kind of funeral do you want?"

"Oh come on! Misty can't be that angry... can she?"

I look at Gary. Gary looks at Brock. Brock looks at me. I slump. "Oh hell. Make sure I get a nice casket anyway."

"Ash, if you wait any longer to talk to her there won't be enough left for a casket. Get the hell out there or we'll be putting you in a matchbox."

I grin weakly at the joke before exiting to the hallway. The girls don't see me at first- they're at the door to Misty's room, with their backs turned- so I cough hesitantly to get their attention. The girls turn, and-

Ah... hell.

I had seen Misty in a skirt before, but not often and not for years now. She wouldn't even let me see her in a swimsuit anymore- every time I'd swung by the pool, I'd either have to leave or else risk getting hit where it hurts with a set of water wings. It occurred to me now that I hadn't really looked at Misty in years- I'd seen her around, yeah, and I'd been damn glad she was there, but I hadn't actually looked at her. I was too close to her, and because of this I had forgotten one simple fact. What made it even more darkly ironic was that I'd forgotten the very thing I criticised others for not noticing. I saw more than most, true- despite the tough attitude Misty put up, I knew that she could be caring. I knew that she was capable of tenderness, kindness, and love.

What I had forgotten was that she was beautiful. Inside and out.

In all fairness to me (and at this moment I didn't feel like being fair to me, but felt I should at least try) it was normally hard to see. Misty was hiding, and had been for years. She'd fight, yell, dress as plainly as she could... anything to avoid being noticed. But it was impossible not to notice her; she was always there with me- laughing, playing, fighting. We'd been through so much I thought I'd known her... and I'd been wrong. I had known her once, but I'd forgotten her. I'd forgotten the girl who had taken my side in everything, and now here I was after spending a week hiding from her, about to tell her that I was equally mixed up about her and a girl I'd known for just over a week.

The bigots back in Pallet had called me trash. I didn't believe them... but I don't think they were ever more right than now.

Misty and May look at me in confusion for a moment before realizing who I am. I look between the two of them searching for something, anything, to say, but I come up with nothing. The contrast between them nearly kills me. Misty looks pissed- her default state of being, it seems- but I don't think of it that way anymore. Misty, despite occasionally threatening me with cutlery, has never truly hated me. She's a force of nature; as tempestuous as the ocean she loves so much- what I had previously perceived as anger now seemed to be nothing more than a passion for life. It was the sheer vivacious force of her soul that caused her to act this way- it made her dangerous, but it also made her beautiful.

May couldn't have been more similar without being more different. I know that doesn't make sense, but at this point I think my brain was forced to resort to poetic inanities because logic had given up and gone home. An unkind person could label Misty with many derogatory terms (the dents in my head encouraged me to add a few) but no one could ever accuse the girl of being duplicitous. Misty was exactly how you found her, no more and no less. If her nature and image seemed contrasting, then it was merely the observer's lack of perception that caused it to be that way- Misty was Misty, and I loved her for it. May was... well, May was different. She was somehow both innocent and jaded, naughty and nice- she was paradoxical without being contradictory. I may not have known her for long, but I'd seen how much depth the girl had. No matter what May was like at any given time, she was always true to herself- the girl who had called me a coward was still the girl who thought I was her knight. She loved, she lived, she laughed- every moment was May's moment, and I'd never seen her waste a single one of them. She was indisputably, inescapably alive, and that came as a shock to someone who had spent most of their life as if they were already dead.

To someone like me.

My brain wanted to continue crapping out metaphysical garbage, but my eyes finally catch up and notice the serious glares I'm receiving. They alert both my brain and mouth that I'd better come up with something fast or else Gary will soon be picking out a nice matchbox.

Of course, nothing is that easy. I couldn't have just told the girls what I was thinking could I? No- my brain comes up with volumes of flowery phrases to woo the angry females, my subconscious sense of self-preservation comes up with various gabbled excuses to get me out of trouble, but who reaches my mouth first?

The testicles.

"You look hot." I croak out. "I mean, uh- warm. It is, yeah, uh very warm in here. Umm... nice skirt?"

Gary and I, inspired by Kanto's colour coded threat level system, had once decided to sort Misty's mood by rank. Seeing as how her glare escalated from crimson ("Abandon Hope") to maroon ("Apocalypse") at my last statement, I'm guessing I've made a mistake. May's glare isn't quite as good as Misty's, but the fact that anyone is even in the same class as Misty when it comes to glaring is a sobering surprise.

"_Come on Ash! What can they do that the spider couldn't?" _argues my brain.

"_Are you sure you want to find out the answer to that question? If this goes bad, it isn't your brain that'll end up nailed to someone's mantle."_ Retorts the portion of me south of the belt. The two organs begin to bicker, each offering me possible solutions. Neither one provides a viable course of action, but then a third voice pops up.

"_Maybe you should try talking to them? Like, without being an idiot?"_

Good idea. Who is this?

"_The spleen. Don't ask."_

I didn't ask, but I did take the advice. Manning up, I take a deep breath, get my thoughts in order, and speak.

"I need to talk to you. Both of you. Please?"

May cocks an eyebrow at me, and Misty folds her hands over her chest. "If you think you can distract us with a discussion on strategy or pokemon after a bloody week of-"

"No. I don't want to discuss strategy. Or fighting. Or pokemon."

"Well, that precludes about ninety percent of your vocabulary. Pray tell, Ash, what the hell do you want to talk about?"

"Us."

Misty looks surprised at my blunt admission, and she and May glance at each other. I continue before they shut me off again.

"I need to talk to both of you about what happened at the pool, and... and I have some things to admit to. Number one of which is that I'm sorry- sorry for a lot of things. May, you have enough reasons to be justified in being angry at me, and Misty... well, I don't think I can list them all. Just let me have one hour to talk, and then if you want to be angry you can be."

The two girls draw back, and begin to whisper back and forth. I try not to listen in- I don't want them angry with me about eavesdropping on top of everything else- but they put so much emphasis on a few phrases that they're hard to ignore.

"...absolutely perfect chance to tell..."

"...too soon to be..."

"...four years isn't too soon to..."

"...but what about your..."

"...let me worry about me, okay? Just promise that..."

"...okay. You can have the next turn..."

The girls nod, and then turn back to me.

"You and Misty are going for a walk." May informs me.

"But-"

"No buts. The two of us can talk about things later, okay? Right now I think you and her will have more than enough to discuss."

Misty nods her thanks to May before walking down the hall and into the elevator without a word to me. I rush to catch up, and the two of us take the elevator to the ground floor. The second the elevator doors open, Misty walks towards the front door of the hotel, again without turning around or speaking to me. I follow her, walking past the front desk (making a mental note to force Gary to tip the hell out of the bellhop, who is currently applying ice to his back) and out the door. It's nearing evening now, and the fierce orange glow of the setting sun blinds both of us temporarily. Recovering quickly, Misty sets a brutal pace for the nearest beach- she's walking so fast and keeping her back so straight it's almost marching. I follow, unable to bring myself to interrupt her, until we hit the boardwalk near the beach and she stops abruptly. She's chosen a good place to make her stand- this area is nice, but most of the waterfront entertainment is further south, so we have this stretch of beach to ourselves for now. Slowing her pace, crossing her arms, and still not looking at me, she initiates the conversation.

"So."

"So." I repeat, trying to work out if her speaking is a good sign or a bad sign.

"_She's a girl, Ash. It's probably both."_

"So," she repeats, "what did you have to talk to me about?"

"Well... I guess I can start off by apologizing. Er... sorry..."

"It's fine." She snaps. "Feebas just had an accident. It wasn't your doing."

"No. Not for the pool thing. I meant sorry for... well, running away. For taking you for granted. Um. If I've suddenly realized I've been treating you like crap for four years, does that make it better or worse?"

She rounds on me, angrier than ever. "Ash Ketchum! Did you just apologize for our friendship? For everything we've been through?"

"I just meant-"

"No. Don't you dare apologize again. Yes Ash, we've known each other for four years, and yes, you can be a dick sometimes. Do you think I regret any single day we've ever spent together? Any minute?"

"I-"

"Because I haven't! Do you regret it?"

"No!"

"Then why the hell are you apologizing for it!"

The two of us are screaming now, standing nose to nose and yelling into each other's faces. Misty has started to flush light pink, and her eyes twinkle with righteous indignation.

"Because I thought you did!"

"You-! You fucking dare to assume I thought that way?"

"How could you not, Misty? Tell me that. Everyone is always putting you down for stupid, stupid reasons! They can't see you're talented because of your sisters; can't see your pretty because you refuse to whore yourself out for them! You're beautiful, and amazing, and nobody can see it because they're all blind! How could you not regret being held back because you took pity on some useless, bitchy piece of trash that-"

She slaps me. I guess I could have avoided it if I'd tried, but part of me suspects I deserve it.

"Do not finish that sentence. Do. Not. I'll hit you again, I swear it. Four years Ash. Four fucking years you're throwing in my face, and you know what? I don't regret a single goddamned day. Not one. We are friends. Friends, Ash. Do you understand that, or are you so caught up in hating yourself that you forgot what it means?"

"You're one to talk. How's the old self-esteem, Mist? Pretty good when I'm around, huh? Guess that's another thing to add to my list of being sorry for."

Misty jumps me. Well, more like she hits me with a flying tackle. The two of us fall off the boardwalk and roll down a sandy embankment to land on the beach. Immediately she begins to pound at my chest- more for emphasis than to hurt me. The two of us struggle, rolling in the sand.

"Have you listened to a word I've said?" She yells, punching me in the stomach. "We. Are. Friends! May reminded me of that fact when I got down on myself, and now I'm telling you. Friends! What do I have to do, carve it into your forehead?"

I get my knee up into her chest, then flip her over and pin her arms. Breathing heavily- the two of us are pretty winded- I talk to her in a more normal tone.

"Are we Misty? Are we just friends?"

Her struggles stop almost immediately, and she looks into my eyes, searching for something.

"W-what... what do you mean 'just'?"

"I meant what I said. Misty... I know you're scared. I'm scared. But I nearly died during that last test, Mist. I can't..."

I sigh, letting my head drop and releasing Misty's arms.

"I can't die... without telling you I..."

Misty brings one of her arms up and gently cups my chin, raising my head so that I'm looking her in the eyes. All of her anger is gone now- all that's left is an odd serenity. It's strange, actually- I've seen Misty in many moods, but she doesn't usually look this... accepting.

"It's May, isn't it? You like her." There isn't a trace of anger or sadness in her voice, merely curiosity. I wonder briefly if that's a bad sign, but it doesn't matter. I've come too far to back out now.

"No. Yes. I don't know. But I... May isn't the only girl I'm confused about.

"Ash."

"It's just, I don't- I don't know! I don't know what I'm feeling, but nearly got taken out without telling you anything, and I have to make sure you know that I- but, I can't... not when I'm not sure about May, and- it isn't fair to you for me to-"

"Ash. You're babbling."

It was true. I stopped talking and started to listen.

"I don't care."

"What?"

"Right here, right now, I don't care about your feelings for May. Or your feelings about any other girl, boy, or pokemon in this universe for that matter. What I care about right now is what Ash Ketchum feels for Misty Waterflower."

"Mist..."

"The truth, Ash. That's all I want."

It occurred to me suddenly that for the first time in my life the world had gone perfect. Here I lay, on a picturesque beach with the sun setting behind me, and Misty's lips not more than six inches from my own. I would have thought figuring out you're in love with someone would have been a surprising event, but it was really more like everything suddenly falling into place. It didn't resolve my issues- May still held a strange and uncertain fraction of my affections, and I felt that this entire thing would get more complicated before it got simpler- but at that moment I didn't care. Between one heartbeat and the next, I had realized I was in love, and the universe finally felt like it was headed in the right direction.

Sometimes life gives us hard choices. Sometimes the choices we make are easy. Sometimes- not often, but sometimes- it doesn't matter whether the choice is easy or hard because we know, know in our hearts, that there's only one right way to make it.

I leaned in. And behind us, the sun set and the waves crashed to the shore.

* * *

><p><strong>You know, I don't usually laugh at my own work. To be honest, I don't really find "Angel" all that funny, probably for the same reason that a surgeon would have problems admiring a beautiful woman when he's been wrist deep in her GI tract. Still, there's something about Lance trying to give Ash relationship advice that gets me every time. Especially that line "they think capes are cute". God, talk about the blind leading the blind.<strong>

**The AAML people can fluff all they want, I still think this is the most likely scenario. Misty and Ash beat the hell out of each other and then make out. I should probably mention that there are several lines in the next chapter that make it sound like the two of them had sex. I'm leaving it purposely ambiguous how far they went, but I personally don't believe they got past first base. Knowing them, anything more just isn't plausible. I think in the next chapter Ash is just teasing Gary.**

**Notice as well that Ash has now been slapped by both of his love interests. Dawn can't be far behind.**

**Please Review. If eighteen of you do it, I'll have a hundred reviews... gaahhh! BIG SCARY ROUND NUMBER!**


	18. Chapter 18: Lean Mean Piscine

**This chapter is a beast.**

**Well, it is for me at least. The longest chapter so far was 10,000 words long, whereas this Leviathan is 16,000. That's almost as much as the first three chapters of "Old Wounds" put together. But I should point out that the fact that it's long doesn't mean that it's interesting. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a pokemon battle interesting in this medium? I tried my hardest... and there are a few jokes spread throughout the battles, so hopefully those will string you along until I can get away from all this damned plot and start making fun of Dawn. I know this chapter is long and tedious, but it was necessary guys. Ash hasn't done anything in the tournament since Chapter 12 (not counting the Chapter 13 recap). He needs to actually start working on the things he's here for.**

**Please also note that I haven't mentioned some of my most dedicated reviewers. That's because I've already spoken to most of them via PM. Anyway, many thanks to Cyberbeta (this guy is one hell of a detailed reviewer- he actually thinks before he types), Twilight- The Moon Spirit, Nauran, Kurtispj5, fanfic meister and everyone else who reviewed. My apologies if I forgot to mention you- I do read every review, it's just hard to keep them straight sometimes. If you want to talk about this story or fan fiction in general, feel free to PM so that I can respond to you promptly.**

**For Fun: There are 25,339 differences between this chapter and the last. Can you find them all? You have too much free time don't you?**

**NOTE! THIS CHAPTER WAS PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CHAPTER 17! IF YOU ARE READING THIS FIRST, YOU HAVE SKIPPED A CHAPTER!**

* * *

><p><strong>18-Lean Mean Piscine<strong>

"_**How far can someone be pushed? I've seen people lose before the battle has even begun; seen them give in to fear and anxiety before they ever touched a weapon or received a blow. When confronted with a stronger opponent or a futile situation, people tend to either bow down or run away. There are those who resist this urge, however; those who will stand and fight for their beliefs even in the face of impossible odds. It's what first attracted me to Riley, and it was the reason I found Ash so intriguing- he's the only man I've ever met who wanted to punch the universe in the face."**_

_**-Cynthia Shirona**_

I was seated on the bed in my room, rubbing my balls and thinking about Misty. Gary, sitting on one of the chairs across the room, seemed to be disgusted with me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He sneered. I ignored him, giving Eevee and Pikachu's pokeballs another rub with the dust rag. I didn't clean them often, so they were marred with thousands of tiny scratches and wear marks. It wasn't that I particularly cared what my pokeballs looked like as long as they functioned, but I hadn't had anything else better to do. Gary makes another attempt at bursting my bubble.

"Ash man, you're scaring me. Where the hell were you last night?"

"Yeah." I grunt at him, not listening. My mind turns back to the beach last night for what must be the hundredth time this morning, and I start to grin. Losing the memories of the first decade of my life isn't such a bad trade off; not as long as I can always remember last night with the same clarity I do now. The feeling of the sand under my knees, the sound of the waves crashing in upon the shore...

And most of all, the taste of-

"Mew save us, he's smiling. Brock, help me out here!"

"Why? He looks fine. Drugged, but fine."

"He's smiling. This isn't natural. One sec, I'll fix it myself."

I'm rudely jerked out of my reverie when a pair of balled up socks thumps me on the side of the head. I turn, trying to be pissed off at Gary, but I can't even work up a decent glare with the taste of Misty's tongue still fresh in my mind.

"Huh?"

"Arceus! How hard did Misty hit you? I haven't seen you this vacant since the Tyranitar."

Casting off my failed attempt at a glare, I smile at Gary. "Misty didn't hit me any harder than she ever has before Gary, so you can relax. I don't have any brain trauma. I just... fell."

"You fell?"

"Oh yeah. Hard. Best damned thing that's ever happened to me."

Gary arches his eyebrows in confusion. He isn't a stupid person; if anything, he's one of the wilier bastards I've ever known. Those who didn't know him may be forgiven for observing his twinkling, devious eyes and rabid, horny enthusiasm and then looking no further. Gary and I go back a long way, however, and I was perfectly well aware that he had a decent brain in there somewhere. The fact that it was so often being marinated with hormones and alcohol was beside the point; Gary had a sharp mind. So it wasn't due to any lack of intelligence on his part that he didn't pick up on what had happened, it would be fairer to say that he didn't understand what Misty and I had done because such things did not happen in his universe. Nowhere in a rational mind was there room for the image of Misty Waterflower and Ash Ketchum kissing on a beach. Such a thing was insanity.

Insanity had tasted like cinnamon.

The vacant grin I'd been sporting all morning returned as I tuned Gary out and focused on last night. If I'd been any less distracted at the time I might have been surprised- If I'd had to guess what a kiss with Misty would have tasted like before hand, I would have said chlorine. She always smelled like chlorine anyway- chlorine and shampoo, a clean, fresh cocktail of scents. I couldn't have been more off the mark. I hadn't even liked cinnamon up to this moment, but I was definitely willing to learn. Maybe later Misty and I could sneak off somewhere and I could get some practice in...

"Ash!"

"Huh?"

"Man, what is wrong with you today?"

"Yeah."

"For the love of- fine. Never mind. Let's go, okay?"

"Yeah."

"We're going downstairs for breakfast? It's the big day today, remember? Time for the next part of our test?"

"Yeah."

"We'd better go get your legs waxed. The swimsuit competition is a tough one, and your bikini is just _so_ last year."

"Okay... what?"

Gary rolls his eyes. "You weren't listening to me were you? Come on Brock, let's go."

"Are you sure we should just leave him like this? He might miss breakfast. He'll need the energy later. Or maybe he needs a doctor?"

"Ash will always find his way to food eventually. If it's gotten to the point where that's no longer true, then there isn't a doctor on this planet that can save him now."

The two of them leave the room. I sit there for another minute, blinking stupidly as the last five minutes finally catches up with me.

"Wax my what?" I ask the empty room, before standing up and hurrying after them. They were long gone by that point, but I decided it was for the best that I stop acting like a slack jawed moron and got some breakfast myself. I could vaguely remember Gary saying something about a test today, and it seemed best that I eat. I take the elevator down to the ground floor and head into the cafeteria. It's busy, in a quiet sort of way- it seems like everyone's here, but they aren't making much noise. Instead they drift through the room like wraiths, never raising their voices beyond a whisper. I can practically see the tension in the air, and the feeling is a familiar one. I don't think I've ever been in a final exam that didn't feel like this- the quiet, desperate anxiety and the encroaching realization that there was no more time to prepare. It was easy to let yourself get psyched out by this sort of feeling, but I've been failing finals for years now and it never did me any harm. Well, no harm that didn't heal at any rate- Blaine didn't like kids failing his classes, but the burns I'd received had cleared up eventually. Shrugging, I shove a muffin in my face and go look for my friends.

They aren't particularly hard to find. If the girl's giggling hadn't revealed their position to me, then Gary's shouts of righteous indignation would have.

"He was weird! Really weird! Like he was all... happy or something! What happened?"

Zoey breaks out into another giggling fit, probably due to the look on Gary's face. Gary usually has a pretty good handle on what his friends are doing, and seeing him so frustrated is pretty funny. May just nudges Misty and the two of them share a knowing grin. Gary pounds the table in frustration.

"I'm serious damn it! Misty, I don't know what you did to him, but it seriously fucked with his brain. Can you lay off for a while? I think you might kill him next time."

"Don't worry, Gary. I won't do a thing next time."

Gary sighs with relief. "So you've calmed down?"

"Nope. Next time it's May's turn."

The girls continue to smirk, but Gary and Brock just stand there getting more confused.

"Let's get him to a doctor." Opines Brock.

"Let's get him the hell off this island." Mutters Gary.

"Nah." I say, coming up from behind them and putting a hand on both their shoulders. "Let's talk about him behind his back some more. That always helps."

Brock flinches in surprise, but Gary just gives me a look and shrugs me off.

"Come on Ash. I know something is going on, so what's the point in keeping it from me?"

I glance at Misty, trying to assess exactly where she wants to go with this. She just gives me a smile, gestures to May and Zoey and then nods. I guess it would be pretty hard to keep it a secret anyway.

"You were right Gary." I tell him, clapping him on the back. "Misty broke something last night."

He nods with understanding, and then casts a speculative eye over me looking for injuries. "Knew it. Rib? Leg?"

"Nope. Four years of sexual tension. Good riddance to it too. Now, who wants pancakes?"

I try to make a move on the huge stack of them May has piled up on her plate, but before I can move Gary latches onto my arm with an iron grip. He drags me away from the others, pulls me in close, and starts to whisper urgently into my ear.

"You two did what?"

"Pff. Relax, I kept my pants on."

"That... you... uh, you and Misty?"

"Yes. No. Maybe? What the hell does it matter? I'm just going to enjoy what we've got while we have it."

"And, uh... May?"

"Don't know. Misty said they'd talked and that I'd find out later."

"And you're both okay with that?"

"I was honest with Misty if that's what you're asking. I plan to be honest with May too. I'm not going to demand anything I'm not prepared to give myself."

"Just be careful Ash. You always were too goddamned serious. You have a real chance to be happy with this, so don't fuck it up."

"I won't-"

"Yes you will. It doesn't matter if the girls are okay with it; sooner or later your idiotic noble streak is going to get the better of you. You'll decide that your leading both of them on, and that they'd be better off without you, and then you'll tear yourself up trying to make them happy."

"You're saying I shouldn't get involved with either one?"

"Oh hell no! I've been saving up books worth of innuendos for when you and Misty finally admitted it. I'm just saying that if you think you have feelings for both, go work them out with both. Don't get all maudlin and mopey over how you're going to work this out; just go figure out who you love and why. If the answer is one of them, neither of them, or both of them, then don't freak out over the implications. Just go talk with them; get it sorted. If you're going to love them, then make it fun, not agonizing- I know the three of you will make it work somehow. If the emotions are there, then all you need is the courage to face up to them Ash- love is love, no matter what form it takes."

"Gary" I begin, summoning the most sincere tone I can muster, "I don't think you've ever given me better advice. I want to thank you- truly- for being such a great friend."

He beams, and the two of us smile at one another. Then I let the suspicion cloud my face.

"I also want you to know that I'm not as stupid as I look. That whole speech was about having a threesome wasn't it?"

He doesn't even have the good grace to look guilty. "Damn. Almost had you there. Promise me you'll take pictures?"

* * *

><p>"Gary, why are you limping?"<p>

"I-"

"Gary is learning the fine art of ending his speeches one sentence earlier." I told Zoey as the six of us headed downtown. "Now would someone tell me where the hell we're going?"

Brock speaks up. "The next portion of the tournament is two three-on-three pokemon battles. Randomized opponents, substitution allowed."

"Back to back? I don't have a full team."

"Not back to back. Again, every battle is randomly selected, but with so many fights the odds of both of yours being consecutive are slim. There'll be some time to rest, but I would avoid serious injuries."

"So are we allowed to watch each other, or will they split us up like the last test?"

"Audiences are allowed. I hear the stadium is pretty big, so people competing automatically get a seat."

"Wait, there's an audience? Like a paying audience? Why?"

"Tournaments are big venues, Ash. Tickets, advertizing, food... it all adds up. Devon didn't sponsor this thing on a whim, they did it to make money."

"People will pay to watch other people get hurt?"

"Yep."

"You mean I've been giving it away free for fifteen years?"

Brock smiles, but it soon fades into a look of concern.

"Don't let your guard down here, guys. I also heard that Devon isn't just doing this for money."

May looks at him askance. "What do you mean, Brock? They aren't the greatest company, but they always seemed fairly above-board in Hoenn."

"I didn't say they were doing anything illegal, just that money wasn't their only interest in this competition. You can bet someone is going to be taking notes on how far people get in this tournament."

Misty, Zoey and Gary nod in understanding. May doesn't seem to get it, and asks for clarification.

"They're looking for mercs. Battlers for hire." Gary tells her, scowling at the thought. "The big corporations are always poaching fighters from one another for security services. This tournament is drawing talent from all four regions, and it's almost a certainty that companies like Silph and Devon are going to be watching."

"They won't be the only ones." Zoey adds. "The governments will be watching too. Did I tell you Cynthia Shirona was supposed to be here?"

The others seemed pretty impressed with the knowledge that a champion was in attendance.

"I hear she's strong." Enthused Misty.

"I hear she's stacked." Moans Brock.

"I hear she's a stone cold bitch." Gary said reflectively. "Just try to avoid her, okay? Whatever she's here for it can't be good."

"We shouldn't make assumptions about her motivations." Admonishes Brock. "Maybe she's just here so that some handsome young trainer can sweep her off her feet..."

"Do. Not. Try it. She's a champion Brock. Try to impress her with how strong you are and she'll turn your pokemon into goo. Besides, I doubt she's come all this way to be noticed by some horny moron."

"Actually-" I begin, before shutting my mouth. They aren't supposed to know that Cynthia has any connection to me.

"What?"

"Nothing. I agree with Gary, Brock. If you try to woo someone at the champion level in a pokemon battle you're just going to end up getting Rock-blocked."

"You know what Ash? You have no romance in your soul."

_He's right you know. Last I checked it was just me in here._

"_Shut up Kaelus."_

The six of us- seven, if you count the jerk in my head- arrived at the stadium. It was not nearly as hard to find here as the one in Saffron had been; Kindara Stadium truly dominated the city. It was a huge building, roughly rectangular with an enormous oval dome rising from its center. The internal architecture is decidedly modern- the reception area looks like someone threw an Escher painting into a tumble dryer- but all routes are clearly marked, and it doesn't take us too long to find the registration desks. The six of us line up in order to affirm we are still healthy and still participating- apparently Devon needs to be told that we've haven't choked on our own tongues or something in between bouts of deadly combat. Dying in the ring is good entertainment; dying outside of it is a 'regrettable waste of resources'.

We aren't the only ones around, either. Dozens of people who've managed to make it this far are lining up at other desks and getting signed in. The competition seems to still be as polyglot as it had been on the boat over, the only difference being that this time the crowd is full of people from all four regions. The competitors from Hoenn and Sinnoh are most easily noticeable; those from Hoenn because of their good natured boisterousness and those from Sinnoh because there were so damn many of them. While the Hoenn competitors affected a friendly if somewhat nervous demeanour, the people from Sinnoh tended to clump together in isolated distrustful groups. Neither of the two parties wanted anything to do with each other, which I suppose was hardly surprising. The Hoenn Republic prided itself on its secular democracy and was almost ideologically opposite to the Kingdom of Sinnoh, whose ancient traditions were based in mythology and the reverence of its Royalty. I've heard that its gotten better these days, and that Sinnoh now regards itself as a part of the global community instead of the only true nation in a world of barbarians. One can but hope.

Those from Kanto are harder to pick out, mostly because they're too quiet. They tend to hang around in corners or by walls, observing without being observed. I see reflected in their faces what is probably reflected in my own, a sort of watchful wariness. Kanto is awfully suspicious of foreigners. As a nation we'd basically been hammered together in order to resist outside interference and it's left in us an automatic distrust of strangers. But, ironically enough, while we didn't really trust anyone from the other regions we hated almost no one. Kanto didn't have the time or the energy for hate- we were constantly getting dragged into wars we hadn't started, and couldn't really afford to hold grudges. We were paranoid as hell, true, but that was because we'd been betrayed too many times in the past, not because of spite. Kanto would fight bitterly for what was Kanto's, and beyond that we didn't really give a damn.

Johto had the smallest number of competitors entered into the tournament, but they were still the easiest group to pick out. Those from Johto were... well, bastards. Even I thought they were bastards, and if Ash Ketchum will admit you're a bastard then you must be a big one. The Johto Collective was no more than a handful of city-states, places like Ecruteak and Goldenrod that at least maintained the semblance of order. Outside of those, the law was whatever the guy with the biggest sword said it was. People from Johto were brash, overly aggressive and poorly trained. Sinnoh thought of them as proletarian rabble, Hoenn disliked them for their raucous nature and lack of cohesive government, and Kanto hated them for their disunity and lack of coordination. We found them wasteful and undisciplined.

None of the four regions liked each other much, and it showed. Other than a few isolated cases (such as my own), people didn't really seem interested in mixing with their neighbours. I nudge Gary and gesture to the scene.

"So much for interregional unity." I whispered to him. "What are we out here dying for again?"

"Nobody we know is dead... yet. Give people a chance, Ash. As soon as some of them fail out and they don't have to compete with each other they'll all warm up."

I'm a little dubious about that, but before I can relate my qualms to Gary the line moves forward and he begins to speak to the surly clerk about his registration. I look around, a little surprised- I hadn't noticed that while I'd been observing the crowd, the other four had already got themselves sorted. They hang around the desk, chatting to each other and waiting for Gary and me to be finished. The clerk calls out the last of Gary's information, to which he nods his affirmation, before handing him a clipboard with-

Wait... she calls out information? Shit-

"Next!"

"Uh-" I tell her, backing off "I forgot to... I have to go-"

"What's the matter Ash?" May asks, looking up from her conversation with the others.

"Ash? Ash Ketchum?" Asks the clerk in a high, petulant voice that is much too loud for my liking. I pull up to the desk and lean in, trying to whisper to her.

"Yes, but-"

Too late. She's already typing on her computer, and before I can stop her she pulls up my information.

"Ketchum, Ash. Birthplace unknown, age assumed to be fifteen. Is that correct?"

"Yes!" I hiss. "Look, if you could lower your voice-"

"Your current place of residence is Kanto Regional Orphanage 481?"

There is no valid scientific explanation for why your neck prickles when you're being watched, which only proves to me that there are some places even science can't go. I sure as hell can feel the gazes on me now. Without turning around, I can tell that both May and Zoey and staring at me with confusion, and- oh, damn- sudden comprehension. I'd been grateful when I'd found out neither Misty nor Gary had told them anything about my personal situation while I'd been AWOL under the mountain, but now it seems like that would have been the better option. This was not how I wanted them to find out. Gary, finally realizing what's going on, tries to help, but he isn't successful.

"Girls." He blurts, urgently "Let's go now, Ash can catch up when-"

The clerk doesn't even let him finish. "It says here your parents are dead. Who do you want down as next of kin? You have to have a next of kin."

"It isn't a problem." I tell her thickly. "The academy handles the burial."

"But you have to leave someone your things-"

"The government gets my school materials and the orphanage gets my clothes. I don't own anything else."

I suppose that's technically a lie now. I did own a few books, and there were Riley's weapons, but I don't think those mattered. Nobody would give a damn about a few cheap novels, and Riley didn't seem like the kind of guy to let legalities keep him from taking back what was his. Lie or not, the clerk seems satisfied with it. She prints off my schedule, gives me a waiver to sign, and then she's done with me. Rather than turn back towards my friends, I begin walking towards the entrance to the stadium proper. Behind me I hear hurried footsteps.

"Ash-"

It was May's voice, but it gets cut off. I'm not looking- I refuse to turn around, not yet- but I can practically hear Gary shaking his head at her. I ignore both of them and continue to walk. It has been a long, long time since I felt shame- a long time since I've had enough pride to be ashamed. It's a hot, sickly feeling, and it brings back unpleasant memories of why I usually tried to avoid meeting new people.

The stadium is just as grandiose on the inside as it looked from the outside, and the enormous area of the fighting stage and impossible height of the dome are almost enough to make me forget what just happened. Brock must have been right about the size of the audience; there's enough seating here to fit every resident of Pallet town five times over. The seating closet to the ring is nothing more than glorified bleachers- long benches that stretch around the entire field. Further up there were true seats, far more comfortable looking than the ones in either Pallet or Saffron. Above those were private boxes, presumably for those well-off individuals who liked to watch us commoners end each other but drew the line at actually sitting with us. The high capacity seating was impressive in and of itself, but the fighting area...

"Arceus above." I whistled. "What the hell are we going to do with all that space?"

Soccer had not been encouraged in Pallet, as our teachers had reckoned that it didn't involve enough potential for injury. Instead we got to play Voltorb Kick. They were sort of similar though- in Soccer you didn't use your hands because it was against the rules, and in Voltorb Kick you didn't use your hands because losing a foot was less debilitating. The point is, I know what size a Soccer field should be and this place had to be at least that size.

"Isn't this a little wasteful? Even aerial pokemon battles don't usually take up this much room."

"I'm guessing it's more for us than the pokemon. Apparently some of the better fighters really get moving during battle-we'll need the space." Says Brock from behind me. The five of them had caught me up, and I guess Gary had managed to hiss out some version of "drop it" to the girls, because neither May nor Zoey asks me any questions. Instead they draw closer to the field in order to better observe it. Both of them seem slightly subdued. I suppose seeing the stadium for the first time has that effect on me as well- this is where we'll be fighting for the remainder of the tournament. Win or lose, live or die... whether we emerge victorious or face a bitter, meaningless death, it'll be here.

"So." I begin, unable to take the heavy silence any longer, "what now?"

"Now we fill out our registration cards, drop them into the box in the corner and wait until our turn begins." Brock answers, gesturing to the perforated rectangle on the handout we were given. Looking at my own sheet, the card seems to contain the basic info we'd given the clerk.

"What do we need these for? Didn't we already tell them this at the desk?"

"It's probably for the announcer and referee. The announcer needs to know who we are, and the ref... well, did you see the part about 'next of kin'?"

"Ah. Expecting a lot of injuries, I suppose? What's this bit for?"

I had just noticed that next to some very reassuring information about my allergies and transplant serotypes was a blank headed by the phrase "Team Colloquial Designator".

"I guess it means your team's name. You know, to sort of play it up to the crowd? Just pick something that isn't stupid; nobody really cares about those."

I nod absently, fill out the blanks in the form, and then drop it in the box. Once the others are done, we all go up to the area set aside for contestants to watch and sit down. Many people will tell you that waiting is the hardest part, and for many activities it is. Personally I prefer it to a gruesome death, but even I won't pretend that waiting to be called to battle isn't interminable. The six of us make conversation, but it's strangely muted by the flat acoustics of the wide open space beneath us. There really isn't much to talk about anyway, but it beats worrying about what's to come.

We sat there talking and fretting, waiting for the tournament. Below us lay the field, empty and motionless- almost as if the tournament were waiting for us.

* * *

><p>The people of Devon had decided that the event should open to fanfare, although I don't really know why they bothered. Battle may have been mere entertainment to the crowd but it was a harsh reality for us, and it didn't really seem appropriate to open a tournament in which people and pokemon were going to be hurt with the cheery ring of a brass band. There had been speeches too, one from the provisional director on Kindara and one from somebody high up in Devon Corp. I hadn't paid much attention to those; they involved too many hollow words. There were only so many times I could be told how proud my region was of me before I had to go throw up.<p>

The champions' speeches had been much more interesting. There were three of them here (a fact that was remarked upon by my friends with some trepidation- they had only been expecting Cynthia), two that I was familiar with and one I didn't know. Cynthia, dressed up in what I assumed was her Sinnoh Guard uniform, had stressed the importance of care and precision in the battles to come, emphasizing that she wanted to see good technique and not a bloodbath. The second champion, introduced to us as Steven, was a slight, delicate looking man with light blue hair and a seemingly perpetual smile. He had spoken to us mainly about minding our own safety and taking advantage of the medical facilities provided. Lance, apparently unimpressed with the whole occasion, had gone up to the mic, told us that if we died he'd buy us a beer in hell, and had then sat back down. The master of ceremonies, fumbling after Lance's bluntness, had decided to do away with the rest of his speech and declare the next part of the tournament as having officially begun.

The first few battles of the day were nothing special, although the crowd seemed to think otherwise. The Orange Islands were rarely involved in the scuffles of the larger regions, and therefore seemed to be impressed by the idea of combat in general rather than skill. I will say this for the early fights though, there wasn't any incompetence on display like there had been at Saffron. I guess all the people who were truly bad battlers had already failed out, and now it was just those who were serious that were left to fight.

The six of us watch intently, but without any true interest. It was a good way for us to judge the general level of difficulty for this next portion of our test, but watching other people battle could only prepare us so much. The only fights that would count would be the ones we faced ourselves, and our opponents were sure to have their own quirks and traits, so watching others was not particularly useful. I suppose we could have tried to observe the winners so that we'd be prepared in the next round, but with so many battles it would be too hard to keep track of everyone. For the most part we watched to keep ourselves busy as we waited for our own turns. Time seems to almost slow to a crawl, until May speaks up.

"Guys... I'm up next."

Misty and Zoey utter words of encouragement and Brock nods to her supportively. Gary gives her one of his signature grins, but doesn't say anything. I give her a much smaller but more sincere smile, and offer unto her some advice that has helped me get through the last few years.

"Kick some ass." I tell her. May nods enthusiastically before getting up and heading down to the holding chamber. In the field, the previous battle had just finished.

"Alright!" booms the announcer into his mic. "Congratulations to our winner, Team- uh... Team Super-Ultra-Awesome-Mega... you seem to have run out of room on the card, kid..."

"You have to say the whole name! I fine you a million-"

"Moving along!" cried the announcer as security dragged that weird blond guy off the field "Our next match is between two lovely young ladies, one from Hoenn and the other from Johto! Give it up for- what?"

One of the officials begins to whisper desperately into the announcer's ear. He continues to talk, apparently unaware that his mic is still on.

"You're sure? I thought she'd just checked the wrong box... okay..."

Turning back to the crowd, the announcer gives everyone a brittle smile.

"Correction! The next match is between a lovely young lass from Hoenn and a dashing young man from Johto! Give up for Bugsy and Team Bugshit!"

As Bugsy stalks onto the field, emasculated and spitting mad, I find I can't really bring myself to blame the announcer for his mistake. There's some laughter in the crowd, and Gary's grin gets bigger.

"It isn't that funny." I tell him, suspicious. When Gary looks really happy, bad things happen.

"Oh I don't care about bug boy." He replies. "It's just that May is about to find out why she shouldn't have asked me to drop off her card."

Before I can demand an explanation, the announcer resumes.

"And for Bugsy's opponent, the girl from Hoenn! Give it up for May Maple and Team Double D!"

There's more laughter from the crowd, and some applause for May. I'm not sure whether Misty or Zoey reaches Gary first, but he manages to cry out "I regret nothing!" before being buried under a flurry of blows from both girls.

"Do the competitors have anything to say to one another?"

Bugsy struts up to May and places both hands on his hips. Really not helping the whole androgyny issue there.

"Looks like your plan to win is about to go tits up, honey!" He shrills. "No one beats my beautiful bugs!"

May ignores the taunting, and just rolls her eyes. "Please. I'm supposed to be threatened by She-male the mighty? We'll see how tough you are in the ring."

More laughter from the crowd. The announcer steps back, and the ref separates May and Bugsy, telling them to go to either side of the field. The second his flags drop, the two of them go at it.

Well, I say 'go at it'. What actually happens is that Blaziken runs through Bugsy's entire line in about five minutes. Fighting moves may not be too effective on bugs, but Blaziken's fire moves sure are, and Bugsy's team can't manage to knock out even one of May's pokemon. As his Scyther goes down, Bugsy falls to his knees while May dances with glee.

"No! My beautiful team! How could this have happened!"

"Well duh." Retorts May. "They're bugs. They suck. Except for Beautifly."

Personally, I didn't really agree. I wasn't a huge fan of bugs either, but they had benefits- they were great for nipping supposedly badass psychic and dark teams in the bud, and, best of all, they were one of the few things that could make Misty clingy. She was currently under one of my arms, attempting to bury her head even further in to my chest.

"Are they gone?" She muttered from somewhere near my Xiphoid process.

"They're gone Mist. May beat the shit out of that kid." I tell her happily. She extracts herself with as much dignity as possible just as May comes skipping back to where we're seated.

"I won!"

"We know." Zoey chuckled. "We were here. And we got revenge on Gary for you, so you can just sit back and relax."

"Regret... nothing..." moaned something on the floor. I kicked it idly, before speaking to the others.

"Guess I'm next then. My battle was supposed to be really soon after May's- do I just head down?"

May nods. "Yeah, just go to the holding area over there. When it's your turn, they tell you to go out, and then the announcer and the ref take it from there. Good luck!"

May high fives me and Misty squeezes my hand. Brock and Zoey tell me to be careful, and I give Gary another kick for good luck as I head down to wait. The waiting area in this place is far more lavish than the one at Saffron, but I barely have time to admire it, as I'm called very quickly after I get down there. Walking out into the glare of the lights, I make my way to the center of the field. There's some polite applause from the crowd, as there has been for every battle. As I approach the announcer and the ref, I get my first good look at my opponent. Unlike Bugsy, this one is most definitely female; the slight swell at her bust and hips speaks to that much at least. She wears her dark blue hair straight, and it runs down to the small of her back. Upon locking eyes with me, she gives me a small but heartless smile, more of a professional courtesy than a greeting. Apparently she wants to get down to business.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for our next match we have two trainers from the Kanto Alliance duking it out for your viewing pleasure! Straight out of Indigo Private Academy, please welcome Assunta and Team Dominion!"

The girl gave a small wave to the crowd before turning back to us. The announcer, taking his cue, introduces me.

"And from the Regional Alliance Academy of Kanto, we have Ash Ketchum and Team... uh, Ash Ketchum and Team Virgin!"

Even over the amused chuckles of the crowd I can hear a muted whacking noise from where my friends are sitting, and if I strain I can just hear Gary protest: "I didn't even touch his card!"

"Why Team Virgin Mr. Ketchum?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's because we've never been broken."

Assunta frowns deeply- I'm guessing she isn't the sort of girl known for her sense of humour- but the crowd finds it funny enough. The announcer backs off, his job complete, and the ref tells us to go to our own sides of the field. He raises his flags, looks to both of us to make sure we're ready, and then drops them, signifying the beginning of the battle.

"Destroy them Ivysaur!" My opponent yells, releasing her pokemon.

"Let's do it Eevee!" I call out, releasing my own. The two pokemon appear near the center of the field, digging their paws into the dirt and sizing each other up for the brief moment Assunta and I take to evaluate each others' choice. Technically neither pokemon has a type advantage, although I suspect Eevee's limited move set is going to be a problem going up against a Grass/Poison type. Assunta, having completed her initial threat evaluation, decides to test me.

"Razor leaf!"

"_Meh. Not today, honey."_

"Quick attack!"

Eevee surges forwards as Ivysaur releases its leaves. Having misjudged the speed with which Eevee could cover the distance, the leaves miss completely and Eevee remains unscathed. Assunta's opening gambit may have failed, but I find myself impressed with the calmness with which she counters.

"Tackle it!"

Ivysaur can't dodge, not with Eevee this close, but it does weigh nearly twice as much as Eevee does. Instead of avoiding my attack she's going to rely on Ivysaur's greater mass to repel me, possibly doing some damage to Eevee in the process. Deciding that I can't let her get away with it, I yell to Eevee just before impact:

"Lower your head!"

Eevee does, and instead of crashing into Ivysaur and bouncing off, he managed to get under it and throw it into the air. That should hurt it when it lands-"

"Vine whip!"

Assunta's Ivysaur fires two vines at the ground, breaking its fall and allowing it to land safely. Having reached a temporary stalemate, she and I have our pokemon back away from each other to buy us time to think.

"Take down!" she calls eventually. Her Ivysaur charges in recklessly, trying to run Eevee down. That was a bad move- hasn't she noticed Eevee's too fast?

"Just dodge it, Eevee." Eevee waits until Ivysaur is very close, then neatly side-steps it, dodging the attack completely-

"Vine whip!"

It was a feint. As soon as Ivysaur had passed Eevee, vines shot out from its back And wrapped around Eevee's legs.

"Use-"

"Get it in the air!" Yells Assunta. Her Ivysaur hoists Eevee into the air, preventing it from escaping. "Now slam it!"

Ivysaur twists its vines, whipping Eevee down towards the ground in an attempt to break him against the field itself. Just before impact, I give the command: "Dig!"

Neither Ivysaur nor Assunta was expecting that one. Instead of being slammed into the hard surface of the field, Eevee begins to dig the second he touches ground. That means that Ivysaur, instead of facing a half crippled opponent like expected, is now being dragged into the ground.

"Release it!" Curses Assunta. Ivysaur lets go of Eevee- I assume. Eevee is now well underground so I can't see it, but Ivysaur's vines come back out of the hole before it can be dragged in.

"Start charging up Ivysaur!"

Her pokemon plants its feet in the ground as the bulb on its back begins to glow. I need to end this fast- a Solarbeam attack won't be too powerful in here, not when Ivysaur has to take in energy from the fluorescent lights and not the sun, but it will be more than powerful enough to burn Eevee out of his hole if I don't stop it.

"Use dig!" I cry, just as Assunta yells "Solarbeam!"

Eevee rises up from the ground and collides with Ivysaur just as the Solarbeam goes off. That knocks the beam of energy off course and into the ground below the two pokemon, where it promptly detonates. The ensuing explosion kicked up a huge cloud of dust, and it wasn't until it had cleared that we saw the match had been a draw- both Eevee and Ivysaur had been rendered unconscious.

I return Eevee to his ball, somewhat relieved. Eevee's condition did concern me slightly, but both he and Ivysaur seemed to have fainted without taking too much damage. Assunta is one hell of a battler, and we were lucky to do as well as we did.

She was apparently having similar thoughts about me, as she gave me a slight bow before returning her own pokemon. I gave her a nod in return. Placing my hand near my belt, I selected my next pokemon.

"Go for it Pikachu!"

"Let's get serious Venomoth!"

This time Assunta figures she's tested me enough and decides not to waste any time in attacking.

"Silver wind!"

Venomoth flaps its wings, and a wind laced with silvery dust picks up Pikachu and throws him backwards. Landing, he digs all four of his paws into the ground in an attempt to hold on.

"Thundershock!"

Pikachu releases a yellow bolt of electricity which arcs lazily towards the Venomoth. It isn't the best shot, as Pikachu was trying not to be blown over when he fired, but it's good enough so that Venomoth has to let up its assault in order to dodge. The Silver Wind slackens off, and Pikachu and I are free to manoeuvre once again.

"Double team!"

Pikachu begins to move quickly, changing positions so fast that it looks like there's more than one of him. That should keep her from hitting him until I get close enough to-

"Aerial Ace!"

Damn it, of course she'd have a move that ignores evasion. Just my luck. Her Venomoth dives, swooping downwards to slash at Pikachu.

"Grab it!"

As Venomoth goes past, Pikachu jumps up and clings to its underbelly. Assunta, desperate to get him off before he can do more damage to Venomoth, calls out her next attack.

"Stun Spore!"

"Thunderbolt!"

There's a blue-white flash in the air as Pikachu unleashes his thunderbolt. Venomoth, lit up like a Christmas tree, crashes to the ground, but not before he succeeds in getting off his stun spore. Pikachu rolls out from underneath the Venomoth, but his movements don't look too sharp- he must have been at least partially paralyzed. Assunta returns her pokemon and, after some deliberation, so do I. I was hoping not to use my one of my new pokemon for these battles, but with Eevee down and Pikachu semi-immobile it looks like I don't have much of a choice. Across the field Assunta smiles at me- the first real smile I've seen her give.

"You have fought well Mr. Ketchum, but I'm afraid this is the end for you. End this Rhydon!"

She throws out her last pokeball, and from it arises a behemoth of a pokemon. Rhydons aren't as big or as bad as Tyranitars, true, but a hundred and ten kilograms of rock-armoured mass was still a lot of pokemon. Besides, this one looks well trained- the look of thinly restrained fury in its eyes that seemed to be common to its entire species was muted as it waited for its trainer to unleash it. Did I really want Riolu fighting this thing? He'd have a type advantage... but the problem was the same as the time I'd fought Tyranitar with Eevee, the opponent was too damn big. I had no doubts that Eevee or Riolu, my two physical attack oriented pokemon, could have hurt it, but it would have too much strength and endurance for them to last long. Pikachu was a range fighter, but none of his electrical moves would do squat against this thing.

So it came down to bad choice or worse choice. Did I want to take this thing on with Pikachu, who had a very small chance of succeeding, Riolu, who had almost no chance of succeeding, or else...

"Damn it..." I muttered. "Alright! Come on Feebas!"

The crowd was silent for a moment or two, but then the laughter started up. I wouldn't have cared if they were just laughing at me- I was used to it- but these were laughs of derision and they all seemed aimed at Feebas. She's always been a sensitive soul, and she was having problems anyway- she couldn't stay vertical very well on the hard packed dirt of the field, and was reduced to flopping aimlessly. She begins to blush, embarrassed by the crowd's mirth.

"Ignore them girl!" I shout to her. "I know you can do this!"

Feebas glances at me, then to her hulking opponent, then back to me again. Flapping her fins once in acknowledgement, she sets herself upright and stares down her opponent. The Rhydon, unused to being glared at by something the size of its foot, takes a step back, but soon recovers and gets ready to battle. Assunta, apparently outraged by what she perceives as me not taking her seriously, yells to her Rhydon:

"Crush that damned thing!"

Rhydon lumbers forwards and digs one claw into the ground, grabbing not only Feebas but the clump of dirt surrounding her. Grinning, the Rhydon holds Feebas up to face level and gets ready to crush her into a pulpy mass-

"Water gun!"

Apparently Rhydon had forgotten that holding onto a slippery Feebas was even harder than holding onto the soap in a prison shower. The force of the water gun not only slams into Rhydon's face and knocks it over, it also sends Feebas shooting out of its grip. Rhydon, after growling with rage, gets back up and starts chasing after Feebas. Assunta seems shocked.

"Feebas can't use that move!"

"Not normally, but I got some advice from a water trainer. My Feebas is the Fee-best, bitch! Keep it up with the water gun!"

Feebas does. As Rhydon chases her the natural bumps on the field cause her to skitter around, and her water gun sends her in completely the opposite direction- towards the Rhydon. That would have been unlucky, except she's going so fast now that she shoots right between its legs and gets behind it. Rhydon, not exactly a member of the brightest pokemon species around, tries to make a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn without slowing down. Obviously this fails, and it trips over its own legs and goes crashing to the ground. Screaming with rage, it gets back up... and then slips on the mud that Feebas' water gun has turned the field into.

The scene might have actually been funny if it weren't for the danger to my pokemon. Rhydon, now furious and encrusted in mud, kept chasing my peripatetic Feebas around the field, unable to catch it. Feebas, totally unable to control the direction of her movement, goes flying around the field, making turns and loops that she couldn't have done if she'd been trying.

All good things come to an end though, and Feebas can't use water gun indefinitely. Eventually the flow of water slackens off, and she comes to a halt. The Rhydon, convinced it finally has its prey in its grasp, lifts up a foot to crush her, and-

"Use Splash!"

-it puts its foot down, hitting absolutely nothing. It would have seriously hurt Feebas if it had hit her, but she's now moving around so randomly that the Rhydon can't predict her movements. Rhydon starts flailing around trying to hit Feebas, but he never manages to land a clean blow. It can't predict where Feebas is going to be because Feebas doesn't know where she's going to be- one moment she'll be dodging left, and then the next she'll go flying right. She can't keep this up forever either though- already I can start to see her slow down. Rhydon gets a few blows in, more by luck than anything else, but its ability to hit her gets higher and higher as she starts to slow. I could change for Pikachu, but... no. Pikachu wouldn't be able to run fast enough to wear this thing down while paralyzed, and he'd be taken out in seconds. Then I'd just have to send Feebas out again, and I'd be in the same position but with two unconscious pokemon instead of one. Assunta stands at the other end of the field, observing the situation calmly. She's just waiting for her chance to strike... but there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about that. Feebas is running out of stamina, and I'm running out of ideas.

"Hammer Arm!"

I wince at the meaty thud that resounds as Rhydon's fist hits Feebas right in the gut. She goes down, hard... then manages to get upright. She's still conscious, but something internal is very obviously broken- she isn't moving right. If I don't do something fast, this is going to get ugly.

"Kick its head off Rhydon!"

"Water gun straight down!"

Feebas sends a stream of water at the ground, lifting her high into the air and causing Rhydon to miss its kick. Assunta snorts.

"You think that'll do anything? Another Hammer Arm when it comes down Rhydon!"

Rhydon sinks its legs into the ground, preparing to fuck up my Feebas when it finally comes down. As Feebas nears the top of her arc, flips over once, and starts to come back down, I close my eyes and send up a prayer to whichever god is responsible for fish and pissy teenagers.

"Flail!"

Flail was a move that inflicted damage in proportion to the damage the user had already received, and I admit that I used it more out of desperation than strategy. The results were better than I could have ever dreamed. Feebas, possibly fed up with years of being considered weak and ugly, descended from her flight red eyed and furious. The Rhydon never had a chance. I was too shocked by the ferocity of her attack to pay much attention to the details, but I heard later that it inspired an epic poem from some particularly verse-savvy member of the audience:

_Mighty Feebas struck down like the wrath of a god,_

_Later we mortals, unworthy, did say_

_That what once was a puerile, feeble young cod_

_Fought with the heart of ten Feebas that day._

'The Lay of the Feebas' turned out to be quite popular, but I felt that it never really captured the pure awesomeness of watching a seven kilogram fish beat up a one-hundred and ten kilogram monster. I didn't really need lyrics or music to figure out the truth anyway, I had known it from the beginning:

Feebas. Kicks. Ass.

The ref waved his flags and declared me the winner, desperately trying to get Feebas to stop before it did serious damage to Rhydon or itself. I rushed to the center of the field and took Feebas into my arms, trying to calm her down. She was shaking, possibly because she was still angry or possibly because her injuries truly were terrible. She needed medical attention, but there was still something to be done first. Despite only knowing me for a few days, Feebas had fought for me with just as much honour as Pikachu, Eevee or Riolu would have, and she did it after these bastards had dared to laugh at her. I owed her two things.

"Thank you. You were amazing." I whispered into her ear, fulfilling my first obligation. As to the second, I took her in both hands and lifted her above my head. The crowd, whispering and muttering, became quiet, and as soon as I was sure I held everyone's attention I spoke to them in the loudest voice I could.

"Behold!" I shouted, displaying Feebas' shattered but proud frame. "Behold the Feebas, destroyer of worlds!"

There was no laughter this time. The applause started off quietly- my guess would be that Gary or Misty was the first to start clapping- but as I held my fish in the air, it gained momentum.

And when Feebas, encouraged by the response, flapped her fins once and gave a defiant cry of "Feeeeebasssssssssssssssss!" the clapping rose to a storm.

* * *

><p><em>It's truly amazing how fast you can lose yourself in a mundane task if you're trying to avoid brooding over what you're about to sacrifice. I guess it was barely a sacrifice for me now- I had killed many, many times and would have to kill many more before I was allowed to rest. You'd think that would make it easier, and it did to a certain extent, but it was always a trade off. Every time I killed, killing got easier and living with myself got harder.<em>

_I try not to think about it, and instead lose myself in the simple task of wrapping two lengths of cord around my arms. It was an old trick to protect your hands and strengthen your blows in battle, and I'd done it so many times I could perform the task in my sleep. Still, it makes for a nice distraction. The cord runs down the palm, loops over the thumb, through the knuckles and down the palm again..._

_I twitch slightly as I feel her hand run down the back of my neck, but it's more out reflex than surprise. I knew she was here. I always knew where she was; the two of us- well, four of us, really- were too tightly connected for me to ever be unable to find her. But just because we're bonded so tightly doesn't mean I wanted her to touch me at the moment- if anything I want her to leave me alone right now. She was so beautiful, so graceful and so pure that touching me as I prepare myself for war seemed like a desecration._

"_You're going off again, aren't you?"_

"_I'm sorry Haruka. Did I wake you?"_

"_You're going off to fight."_

_I sigh. "Yes. They're making another foray through the Lytar Mountains. We have to stop them before they get to the villages in the valleys below or else there'll be a massacre. Another massacre." I added bitterly._

"_What happened at Celestic wasn't your fault."_

_I didn't answer her. When we were intimate I would confess my doubts to her, try to lose myself in her unbearably warm embrace while we made love. But not now. Now was not a time for intimacy, and Haruka deserved better than for my parting words to her to be a scathing condemnation of myself._

"_I could join you."_

_I shook my head at her offer without turning around. Kasumi would have hit me, and Hikari would have argued the point, but Haruka just sighed in resignation._

"_You know, I'm not the delicate flower you seem to think I am. I can hold my own."_

"_I know Haruka. Believe me, I know. But... please. Please don't. It's bad enough that Kasumi and Hikari insist on being in the thick of things. If they die... if you die..."_

_Her hand begins to rub up and down my back reassuringly. "Alright. I'll stay here. But you had better come back. Promise me."_

_The hand on my back felt good, and I just sat there for a moment enjoying her touch. "I promise Haruka."_

* * *

><p>"I promise..." I muttered, crawling my way back into wakefulness. As I awoke the strange sensation that I was miles away disappeared, but the feeling of someone rubbing my back didn't. Opening one bleary eye, I swivelled my head around to see who was behind me.<p>

"Gnnhhh... May?" I asked, still groggy.

May, noticing that I'm now awake, retracts her hand quickly and blushes.

"S-sorry. You were asleep, and you looked tense so... how's Feebas?"

After the first fight I had gone off to the pokecenter to make sure Feebas would be alright. She'd been in surgery for a while- there were apparently some nasty internal injuries that would have proven fatal without treatment- but the Nurse had informed me that she would pull through fine in a few days. I'd been vastly relieved by the news, as had Pikachu and Eevee, both freshly healed themselves. My friends had had to stay at the stadium for their own battles though, so I had no idea why May was here.

"Shouldn't you be at the stadium? I thought you still had one more fight to go."

"That was hours ago Ash. It's nearly night."

"It- what?"

" You must have drifted off. I already won my second match."

"Oh! Uh, congrats. Then mine-"

"Don't worry, you haven't missed it. The others are all finished too, but your next one isn't for another hour."

"Oh... good. So... no offense, but where if everyone's finished, why aren't they here? Why just you?"

May drags another chair over to where I'm sitting, and then seats herself. She seems to spend an unnecessary amount of time folding her legs and adjusting her blouse, and in my half-awake state it takes me nearly a full minute to realize she's stalling. She looks almost... embarrassed.

"May, is something wrong? What happened?"

She finally stops fidgeting and gives me a look, part uncertain, part daring and part shy.

"Well." She begins "Misty got you to herself last night, so... I guess it's my turn." Realizing what she's said, she turns red again and begins to wave her hands. "To talk I meant! I didn't uh, I mean, not what the two of you- uh..."

I put one hand behind my head and give her an awkward smile. "So... what exactly did Misty tell you?"

May's flush deepens from a bright red to a dark crimson. "All of it. How you two, uh... k-kissed."

"I didn't think that would embarrass you." Her head snaps up, and it's my turn to wave frantically. "No, I didn't mean you were- you just seemed forward, so- not forward, I meant, uh-"

"It's okay." She tells me. "I guess I do come across as forward, or at least compared to Misty I do. I just... I don't really have as much firsthand experience as I like to pretend."

"Really..."

"Yeah..."

Our eyes meet for the briefest of seconds, and we both turn away. This isn't anything like it was with Misty. Trying to come to terms with her was like a battle- both of us would make the occasional emotional feint, but retreat whenever the other struck. With May it was more like a dance, one where I didn't understand the steps and couldn't make a move without treading on somebody's toes. Clearing my throat, I try to dispel some of the uncertainty in the air.

"I didn't want to talk to you about Misty. I, uh... I wanted to say sorry."

"About Feebas? It was just high spirits Ash. Neither one of you meant any harm by it."

"No, I meant I was sorry for running away. I... I'm not really good with, you know... touchy feely crap."

She nods empathetically. "Why would you be Ash? You never had parents to guide you."

Wincing, I turn away. I could withstand scorn, hatred and repulsion... but if I looked up now and saw pity in her eyes, I don't think I could withstand that.

"Don't."

"Ash..."

"May. Don't. Please? You can't give me understanding and I refuse to take pity."

May is silent for a bit. Eventually she reaches over and takes my hands in hers before speaking again.

"You should have told me."

Her tone indicates that she isn't rebuking me; she's merely stating a fact. I still feel a spike of anger- much like the one I felt when she demanded I tell her about Gary and Misty back on Baal's island- but it subsides quickly into a sort of tired melancholy.

"Told you what May? You already knew I was a fucking basket case, you just didn't know why. Now you do."

"You aren't a basket case. Or a nut job. Or a failure, no matter what you tell yourself."

"May, you don't know what I am. You don't know who I am. I'm not trying to insult you- it's just, we've known each other for a week. How could you know me?"

"I know that you were willing to die for me." May says quietly. I shift, discomfited by her declaration.

"I know that you almost did die for me." She continues. "Would you do it again? If I were in danger would you save me?"

I look away, unable to meet her eyes. "No."

She just smiles. "Liar."

"I wouldn't-"

"You would. I'm better at reading people than you give me credit for, Ash, and I know when someone tells me a direct lie. Now let me ask again: If I were in danger, would you give your life to save me?"

I sigh, and turn back to look her directly in the eyes. This time I tell the truth- lying to her once was hard enough. "Yes. Yes I would. I... I love Misty, and Gods damn me I would give up my life for you."

May nods, as if she'd known the answer all along. "Do you know what your problem is Ash?"

"The fact that I'm a lying, cheating bastard? Or did you mean the fact that I'm leading on multiple girls?"

May shakes her head. "No. Your real problem is that you're a good man. You have such a big heart you'll forgive anyone... except for yourself. That's while I'll always be there Ash."

"What?"

"You're my knight. I don't care how much you deny it, you are."

"May, I'm-"

"You're what? A confused, immature fifteen year old boy with bad fashion sense? You're in love with Misty? I know, Ash. That isn't what matters to me. Being my knight doesn't mean being chivalrous or elegant, it means that you're the person who will always, always protect me... be there for me... and love me. Are you that person Ash?"

"M-May..."

I got no further. May leaned over in her seat, gently took my head in both her hands and kissed me- just on the nose. Drawing back, she smiled.

"I know. You're confused and worried- worried you're betraying Misty, worried about your Feebas, worried that one of your friends will be hurt. Worried that you can't protect all the people you love. Just know this Ash- no matter how bleak things get, I will always be your princess." May laughed. "It sounds so corny, doesn't it? But I mean it. I will always be there to forgive you... to love you."

My jaw must have hit the floor. I had expected a brief, awkward conversation with May, followed by her telling me that my feelings weren't returned and that I should consider myself lucky that Misty would even look at me. What I had not expected was a bold declaration of eternal love from a girl I had met a week and a half ago. Still... it doesn't feel nearly as weird as it should. It feels almost... right...

Some of my surprise must have registered on my face, because May puts her hands on her hips and raises both eyebrows. "What? You and Misty can dance around it all you like- I'm not going to play your little games Ash Ketchum. I love you, and I'll go shout it out in the middle of the stadium if that's what it takes to get you to accept it."

"No, it isn't that, I just..."

The slight headache I'd been having since May woke me up intensified significantly, and I wince. Something was wrong... no. Something was right. Too right.

"_Shy. Shy but forward, nervous but certain. I know you, Haruka. I loved you... I've always loved you. Where were you when the sky fell? When the world turned black and cold? I called but you never came."_

May, noticing that something is up, gazes at me in concern.

"Ash? Is something-"

" '–_wrong?' She asked me. 'You don't look so good Aaron. Maybe you should-'"_

" –lie down. I could ask Nurse Joy for some blankets..."

"I'm fine, I just-" I close my eyes and rub my brow, and soon the headache clears up.

"I'm fine." I repeat more firmly. "Just tired. Have the others fought yet?"

"Yeah! They all won their matches... a few were close though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Most of us got through with no problem, but you and Gary hit some real tough trainers."

"Gary had a tough fight? Who with?"

"Some Hoenn kid named Harrison. Gary won out in the end, but it was pretty close. Did I tell you that you were awesome fighting Assunta?"

I shake my head. "Feebas was awesome. I definitely would have lost without her. Hopefully my next battle isn't as tough- I basically lucked out."

"Oh no! I just realized- Feebas can't fight, can she? What are you going to do with only two pokemon?"

I blinked, and realized that I'd forgotten totally about Riolu. He was still in his pokeball, completely unaware of what had transpired. Smiling reassuringly at May, I assuage her concerns.

"Relax. Let's just say I've got a wild card for my next match... which is when?"

May checks her PokeNav. "About forty minutes. Do you want to go now?"

"You go ahead, I'll catch up. I want to say goodbye to Feebas... you know, alone."

May nods sympathetically, and tactfully decides not to point out that Feebas is unconscious and can't hear me. After I'm sure she's left, I open up Riolu's pokeball.

"_Whooo! Let's do this- hey, where are we?"_

"We're at the pokecenter kid. I need you to look at something."

Grabbing Riolu, I hoist him up so he can get a good look at Feebas. I have to admit, it isn't a pretty sight. The doctors said she'd be fine, but the tubes running in and out of her and the machines hooked up to her make her look like she's already halfway to that big muddy pond in the sky. I don't know what reaction I was expecting from Riolu- anguish maybe, or else some sort of tantrum- but instead he just gets quiet.

"_Who... who did this to her?"_

"I did." I told him grimly. "I sent her into battle against a much stronger opponent knowing that her chances weren't good. I made some bad calls... and then I kept her in after I should have forfeited because I knew I'd have a chance with Flail. Maybe it wasn't my fault. Maybe I just wasn't thinking clearly under pressure, or maybe I was too focused on winning to think about surrender. Riolu, look at me."

He does. His eyes are wide, and they search my face, probing. I don't know what he's looking for, but I know that he needs to hear what I'm about to tell him.

"I need you. Pikachu and Eevee have both been healed, but they're tired. Feebas can't fight, it would kill her. She's going to take a while to recover... and she could have easily been crippled for life. I need you to fight for me; I need you to trust me, but... did you get a good look at Feebas?"

He nods.

"She trusted me. It turns out I didn't deserve it."

Riolu lowers his head.

"I failed her. I admit it. I'd like to say that I had to, had to let her get injured so that I can find out what's going on with this tournament and save more lives, but I can't be sure that that's true. I'm not perfect, Riolu... and I might fail you too. You could end up like Feebas. Or you could end up dead. So here's the deal. I'm going to lay my cards on the table. I led three pokemon into my last battle. One was paralyzed, one fainted and one nearly died. And now I ask you: Knowing this will you still fight for me?"

Riolu raises his head once more, his eyes filled with determination.

"_To the death, master."_

What the hell can I say to that? Rejection I could have accepted; I probably deserved it. But what do you say to someone who'll look you straight in the eye and tell you that they'll die if you ask it of them?

"Why?" I ask quietly.

"_We're a team."_ He replies, equally quietly. _"I know... I know I'm young, but even I can feel it. You're our master and we're with you, forever and for always."_

"What happened to Feebas didn't scare you off?"

"_No. She's an inspiration. Every wound she carries she carries with honour- I only hope I can be half the warrior she is. Just let me fight, Master. I'll make you proud."_

"You already did, kid. More than I can ever say. Let's go tear shit up."

* * *

><p>It's amazing what a change in perspective a wounded friend can induce. When I left this stadium I hadn't really cared much about the crowd one way or the other- they were sort of annoying, but they weren't in my way and therefore I just ignored them. If I'd felt anything it was a vague sort of irritation. Upon my return I feel as though I almost hate them. People had watched us battle back at the academy, true, but the people watching me then had been battlers themselves. They understood sacrifice, and as much as they may have hated me they would never have made light of a severely wounded pokemon. These people were civilians in the true sense of that word. I guess I couldn't hold that against them- it isn't like everyone could be a trainer, and even if they could it wouldn't make for a very good world. Still, the idea that these people could still be in the stadium chanting for blood while Feebas lay in the center hooked up to a machine in order to live... that pissed me off. That really pissed me off.<p>

They want a show? I'll give them a fucking show.

I hadn't said much to my friends after my return to the stadium. They'd inquired after Feebas' health, I'd told them she would be okay eventually, and they'd had the good sense not to ask me anything further. I didn't have very long with them anyway, as I had to get ready for my own battle. Returning once more to the holding chamber, I sat there in stony silence until my name was called again. Rising, I walked out onto the field.

I would have thought the crowd would have thinned out by now, but the quality of the fights must have gone up after I had left. There are more people here than ever now, and though the stadium isn't anywhere near full capacity I still feel a pang of nerves as I walk out into the field and become the center of so much attention. The crowd's reaction to me is more varied this time, and it's obvious that a few people from this morning remember me- I get more than a few catcalls of "Show us your fish!"

Dick heads.

My opponent is waiting for me as I approach the center ring, and she seems to be even more afflicted by nerves than I am. The tight spandex outfit she's wearing and the bandage on the bridge of her nose make her out as a fighting type specialist, but she looks more shy than abrasive. She gives me a smile- far more real than Assunta's had been- but still holds her ground defiantly as I approach. Good. She's ready to fight, but she doesn't feel like a bad person, so hopefully this battle will be friendlier than the last. Of course, there is one problem. Part of battling was having some good natured trash talking before each fight, and I wondered exactly how she was going to trash talk me when she barely came up to the base of my neck.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our next battle! Our first competitor hails all the way from Veilstone, and is widely recognized to be a combat prodigy! Please applaud for Maylene and Team Tank! Maylene?"

"Hi everyone!" She says into the mic. Her voice starts off a little nervous, but soon strengthens. "We're called Team Tank because our strength and power are unmatched on the field of battle! We're gonna be the ones to make Team Virgin bleed!"

The crowd roars in approval and Maylene flushes slightly. She didn't do too badly for someone who would have to stand on a dictionary to look me in the eyes.

"Well said Maylene! Now for our other fighter! Give it up for the man who's proven what you can do with a rat, a fox and a fish- Ash Ketchum and Team Virgin!"

The announcer hands me the mic and I give Maylene a lopsided grin.

"Team Tank? More like Team Pettanko. Team flat-chest is about to get flat lined!"

Maylene's flush deepens, but she nods to me, acknowledging that she knows I didn't mean it. The crowd laughs again and starts clapping in anticipation as the two of us head to opposite sides of the field. The ref waits until we're both ready, and then drops his flags.

"Come on out Hitmontop!"

"Do it up Eevee!"

Sending a tired Normal type against what appears to be a relatively fresh Fighting type is not the smartest move I've ever made, but I only had three pokemon and I figured I'd better send out my team member with the biggest weakness to my opponent's specialty first. Eevee appears in a flash of red light, tired but game- he shares the same reservoir of general resentment towards everyone and everything that I do, and trust me when I say it can be a great way to replenish your energy. Glaring at Hitmontop, Eevee leans back on his haunches and roughs up his fur, ready to fight.

"Quick attack!"

Eevee turns into a brown blur as he speeds towards Maylene's side of the field. Hitmontop takes a combat stance, preparing for Eevee's onslaught.

"Fake out!" Calls Maylene, just before Eevee reaches her Hitmontop. It dips its shoulder left as if it were going to block Eevee, then suddenly side-steps right and hits him in the stomach as he sails past. Eevee goes flying through the air and lands hard. He tries to stand, but starts twitching and flinching.

"Triple kick!"

Spinning on its head to gain extra momentum, Hitmontop speeds towards my struggling Eevee and kicks it in the head. Once, twice...

"Bite!"

Eevee evades the third blow and grabs onto Hitmontop's legs with his teeth. Hitmontop starts spinning again, trying to either dislodge Eevee or else knock him out with the G forces, but it doesn't work. With Eevee attached to his leg, Hitmontop's center of balance is off- instead of flinging Eevee off, the two pokemon begin to orbit each other around a common point. I get dizzy just watching them.

"Let go, Eevee!"

Eevee releases his death grip on Hitmontop's legs and without each other's weights to counteract their own motion, the two of them go flying in opposite directions. Hitmontop, his balance displaced, goes sprawling. Eevee, built slightly lower to the ground, bounces once and then lands on his feet.

"Dig!"

Eevee dives into the ground, and then digs his way over to Hitmontop. Just as Maylene's pokemon is getting to its feet Eevee pounces, springing up from underground and slamming into the Fighting type.

"Now finish it with Tackle!"

Eevee tries, but before he can reach it Maylene calls out her next move.

"Aerial Ace!"

"_The hell?"_

Her Hitmontop launches itself into the air, flips over twice, and then comes back down, scratching Eevee badly on the way. Eevee hisses in pain as the attack opens up a ragged wound in his side, but soon shrugs it off. Either it was superficial or Eevee's trying not to let on how bad it is. Maylene decides to withdraw and have her Hitmontop go on the defensive- she's probably trying to keep the battle going until blood loss makes Eevee pass out. I decide that it's time to end this.

"Sand attack!"

Eevee kicks up a huge cloud of dust, obscuring the field from view. Maylene and I can no longer see the battlefield or give useful directions to our pokemon, but I have faith in Eevee. He was alone before he met me, and he can take care of himself. From inside the cloud we hear some worrisomely violent noises, and as the dust settles it reveals an extremely proud looking Eevee standing on top of an unconscious Hitmontop. The ref declares Hitmontop unable to battle, and Eevee hops off his downed opponent before licking his wound, curling up and then going to sleep. I let him- he'd earned the rest. Maylene recalls her Hitmontop and I recall the snoozing Eevee.

"Show them our power Medicham!"

"Wreck that thing Pikachu!"

Pikachu limps onto the field, trying to conceal his hindered movement from his opponent. The pokecenter had managed to nullify a lot of the Venomoth stun spore, but Pikachu won't be able to move normally until his body processes the toxin that's still in his system. That takes away some of the biggest advantages I had- Pikachu's speed and agility- but I'd dealt with handicaps before and would have to again. For now Pikachu just walks into the ring unconcerned, not letting any trace of weakness show in front of his opponent.

"Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu opens up with a huge blast of electricity that hits the ground in front of the Medicham and blows it backwards. I don't manage a direct strike- Maylene's pokemon have great reflexes- but I do manage to rattle it. Fighting and Psychic powers rely on tight control of the body and mind, and managing to surprise Medicham could weaken his abilities.

"Fire punch!"

The Medicham, shaking off its surprise at being caught off guard, lunges forwards with its fists wreathed in flame. It misses... barely. Maylene and Medicham were slow off the mark, so even in his inhibited state Pikachu manages to get off with a few light burns.

"Hi jump kick!"

Medicham spins around, plants its feet firmly in the ground, and takes off after Pikachu. Leaping into the air, it extends one foot-

Pikachu ducks.

Sailing over his head, Medicham continues on to crash into a wall. For a brief second it's stunned, and I take advantage of the situation.

"Thunderbolt! Use everything you've got!"

Pikachu unleashes a massive blast of energy. It isn't the biggest I've seen him do- he's pretty tired- but it hits Medicham dead on. The Fighting pokemon twitched, once, twice... and then went down. Pikachu sagged with relief and exhaustion.

Maylene returns her pokemon, and I return Pikachu. Placing her hands on her hips, she calls out to me.

"Don't think this is over! I've been saving my best for last!"

Taking out her third and final pokeball, she throws out onto the field. It snaps open, revealing-

Gahhhh! Gratuitous spandex!

Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Machokes. I just wish they would either wear less clothing or more- I don't care which, but those damned Speedo briefs make me want to hurl. Even with their hideous taste in accessories I didn't mind Machokes in general... but Machokes in general didn't usually start flexing at me. This one did. Grimacing, I reach for the last pokeball on my belt. There are some urgent whispers in the crowd- I guess they think that because I've kept the same line up so far that I was going to make Feebas fight.

"Let's win this one Machoke!" Cried Maylene. Machoke puts its hands behind its head and hip-thrusts in agreement. Trying to hold back vomit, I throw out my own pokemon.

"Kill it with fire Riolu!" Riolu materializes in the middle of the field and strikes a pose.

"_Alright! Who do I have to beat up to-"_ he pauses as he catches sight of his opponent. _"Oh fuck, really?"_

"Yes, really!" I tell him, as Maylene looks at me in confusion and Riolu in awe. "Where did you even learn that word?"

"_Uncle Pikachu taught me a bunch of them! Wanna hear?"_

"Not now, but remind me to smack him one later. Right now we have a fight to win."

Maylene appears to be just as impressed with Riolu as Riolu was with her Machoke. "Machoke!" She yells, "be careful! My dad has a Lucario- they're rare as hell and twice as devious! Don't let your guard down!"

Machoke flexes his pecs at her in reassurance. Riolu, sensing a challenge, starts feeling up his own biceps. Machoke isn't about to let that go unanswered, and before Maylene and I can even begin to issue them orders they're already deep into a flexing contest.

If my intention in keeping Riolu a secret was to surprise my opponent, I succeeded admirably. Maylene had obviously not expected to see a member of the Lucario line here, and the fact that her dad had one made it even better- she knew what they could do. Already I could see the doubt in her eyes. Dealing with rare pokemon was not fun- they tended to be powerful, and most teams weren't set up to have an effective counter for them.

Riolu and Machoke have moved on from flexing to shadow-sparring, each pokemon attacking the air in front of them. It was an old way for fighters to check each other's styles and get a feel for the terrain before they began. Riolu and Machoke, each apparently satisfied with the competence of their opponent, stop moving and take up a stance. For a second nobody moves... and then I sit down and cross my arms over my chest.

"Riolu!" I yell to him, "This one is yours! Fight for the team- fight for Feebas!"

Maylene's eyes go wide. Pokemon are reasonably competent battlers on their own, but a trainer was in a position where they could see the whole battle and give critical advice. Letting your pokemon fight on its own against a pokemon with a trainer was a costly move, and one that was seemingly nonsensical... but then I see understanding dawn in her eyes. I knew she was a true fighter. Imitating me, Maylene also crosses her arms and sits down.

"Machoke! They want an honourable duel- you're on your own too! Fight like I know you can!"

Riolu and Machoke both nod without looking away from each other. They understand where Maylene and I are going. This isn't a pokemon battle anymore, isn't part of a tournament- this is a warrior's duel between them and them alone. Normally I would laugh at the idea of honour in combat, but it does exist in a weird, black sort of way. This battle would determine who moved on and who failed out, and it seemed appropriate that we trust our pokemon to see us through. Win or lose, I knew that Riolu would make me proud.

The crowd was in consternation. It was strange enough to see a Riolu here, especially in the hands of an otherwise unremarkable Kanto boy, but the fact that we were letting our pokemon do the fighting alone was upsetting to them. This was entertainment- it wasn't supposed to involve honour.

Then Riolu and Machoke moved and the crowd was silenced immediately.

Even I couldn't bring myself to speak. Watching Feebas fight Rhydon had been one thing- it had taken incredible bravery on Feebas' part, but it was still ultimately a fight mired in desperation. This was something else. Machoke and Riolu moved so swiftly, so surely, and so fluidly that I might have mistaken it for a dance if I hadn't been paying attention. Every time Machoke stepped in Riolu stepped out in perfect unity, every time Riolu struck a blow Machoke would turn so that it glanced off. The two of them matched each other perfectly, trading lightning fast blows and struggling against iron-clad defences. I would have thought that with Machoke being so much taller than Riolu it would have looked awkward, but it didn't- this was martial arts at its finest.

I would try to relate the fight, but I'm not sure that I can. It wasn't a series of distinct moves like my other battles had been- in those fights the pokemon would attack, defend, and then attack again until one of them couldn't take it anymore and passed out. In this battle the moves flowed into one another-offense and defence could not be considered separate things. By the time I'd realized that Riolu had struck a blow, he would already have stuck four more while defending against an equal amount of attacks from Machoke. The two of them wended their way around the stadium, each trying to use the walls or imperfections in the field to get the slight edge they would need to overcome their opponent.

Machoke found it first.

I don't think I'll ever know what really happened; it was just over too quickly. Maylene and I talked about it after the fight and we eventually agreed that Riolu had probably tripped on some unevenness in the field. What I do remember is having the sickening, split second realization that Riolu was down and Machoke was about to deliver the final blow. Then Riolu reached upwards towards his opponent and did... something, some kind of swirling pattern... with his hands so fast that they'd appeared to pass through each other. Machoke, far from finishing the fight with a decisive blow to a downed opponent, was lifted up in the air and then slammed into the ground with earth shattering force.

It occurred to me after a while that Machoke was down and I had won the battle, but by that point Riolu had already bounded across the field and pulled me into one of his bone crushing hugs.

* * *

><p>"You fellated the King of Sinnoh."<p>

"Sinnoh hasn't got a King, Gary." I told him wearily. It had been a long, stressful day.

"Then you must have whored yourself out to half the fucking Kingdom."

"No Gary, I did not."

"Then did you-"

"I'm not telling you how I got Riolu Gary. Shut up now Gary."

The six of us were currently sitting in the auditorium waiting for the post battle speech to begin. Those who had won two battles were told to come here after their fights to be told what the next part of the tournament was. I'd dropped both Pikachu and Eevee off at the center. Eevee needed stitches, and although Pikachu only needed sleep I wanted him to have the best care available while he got it. I will give this to Devon, they didn't skimp on the medical stuff. My pokemon had earned the best, and Devon was willing to provide.

Riolu was still with me though. Not only was he totally fine, he was completely pumped up from his battle and ecstatic that he no longer had to be hidden. Misty, May and Zoey, after soundly chastising me for keeping such a young, energetic pokemon under wraps, had taken a shine to him. He was currently busy jumping from May's arms into Misty's and then back again. The girls are laughing uproariously as Riolu frolics in glee, but they quiet down and take a seat as the lights dim and one of the Devon men gets up on stage.

"I suppose" he begins, as soon as the room is silent "that I should be congratulating you on making it this far in the tournament. You people have fought some fine battles, and each and every one of you has earned your spot here."

There's some lukewarm applause. Many people are emotionally worn down after such a high stress day, and most of us just want to get some sleep.

"But I'm afraid there's still a ways to go yet. This is where the real battles begin, ladies and gentlemen- the battles in which you'll have to risk your lives. From this point on, there's no more hiding behind your pokemon."

The man coughs once or twice, and then continues.

"So far we've tested two main qualities in you- your ability to survive and your ability to lead. This next portion of the tournament will test something else, something that many of you will have issues with. This next test will determine your ability to cooperate. For the next few battles, you will be fighting your fellow competitors- in team matches. Two on two battles as a matter of fact. In a few moments we will be drawing pairs at random. The person whose name you draw will be your partner for the next portion of the tournament. Your success depends on them... as does your survival."

There were immediately protests from the crowd, but the Devon Exec waved his hands for calm.

"Nobody said this tournament was easy. Either you compensate for your partners weaknesses and compliment their strengths, or else you fail. Now shut up and line up."

We do. We don't have much choice. As each person approaches the front, they're handed a computer printout with the name of their partner on it- apparently the computer was set to generate random teams. My friends and I accept out sheets quietly, then huddle together and look at one another.

"Well?" Asks Gary. "Who's going to look first?"

May, probably the most optimistic of the group, unfolds her sheet and looks at the name within before smiling in relief. She looks up.

"Looks like we'll be getting to know each other a little better Misty."

Misty glances at her own sheet before returning May's smile. I admit I'm slightly relieved myself- I'm glad that the girls are paired together rather than with someone I don't trust. Brock, deciding that he should be next, opens up his sheet and grins.

"Well, it isn't a cute girl but at least I know they'll watch my back. Better man up Gary- we're battle bros now."

"Really?" Asks May, ecstatic. "That's four of us- Ash, Zoey, maybe you two are together!"

I glance at Zoey who opens her sheet and grimaces.

"No such luck. It's someone I don't recognize- another girl from Sinnoh. Leona something. Ash, what about you?"

Unfolding the piece of paper in my hands, I stare at the name printed within. It means absolutely nothing to me... but something about it feels familiar...

"I don't know... who the hell is Dawn Berlitz?"

It was then that I heard the voice behind me. It must have come from the other side of the room, but it's amazing what our ears can pick up on when we focus. It's a girl's voice, high pitched and beautiful. Every syllable is crisply pronounced, every monophthong slides perfectly into place with no extraneous intonation- the voice is as clear and as pretty as the ringing of a bell.

If it weren't for the tone of arrogant, petulant outrage, it might have even been perfect.

"What on earth is an Ash Ketchum?"

* * *

><p><strong>Good God I love that Feebas.<strong>

**Sorry! Just had something in my eyes there... anyway, don't worry about Feebas. She'll be fine. And if any of you are old enough to get tattoos, "My Feebas is the Fee-best, Bitch!" probably isn't the stupidest thing you could print on your body for life. You think I'm joking? Wait until your girlfriend breaks up with you and you have to get her name burned off. That'll learn ya'.**

**So here's the set up: Ash, Misty and May have finally reached an uneasy but happy equilibrium... and then Dawn knocks it all down.**

**Did you know Venomoth isn't part flying? I didn't. Also, I didn't make up Assunta. She exists in the Pokemon world- I told you guys I was better with the original series.**

**Please don't PM me saying that there is a scientific explanation for why your neck prickles when your being watched. Or that Eevee can only learn Dig via TM. Or that it can't learn Take Down until level whatever. Ash isn't good at science, and Eevee is magical. There. Questions answered.**

**This will probably be the last thing I get out before Christmas. I just won't have time for anything else... and almost certainly the next thing I'm going to publish will be more "Old Wounds" not more "Angel". So... see you in January/February I guess.**

**Interesting side note: "Old Wounds" has only 19.6 percent of the word count (before this update) and 11.2 percent of the readership that "Angel" has... but it has 19.5 percent of the reviews and 39.6 percent of the favourites. I can't figure out if it's more popular on per word count basis or if it's just that the sample size is too small. The (reviews/word count) ratio stays roughly the same between both fics, but a lot more people favourite "Old Wounds" proportionately. For those of you who read it, I recently asked whether or not I should include graphic sex. The result? 87 percent in favour. Oh internet, I do love you sometimes.**

**Merry Christmas! Or Hanukkah, Kwanza... whatever you celebrate, have a good one.**

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><p><strong>EXTRA NOTE: FFN is deleting words out of my fic again. I'm currently trying to hunt all of the deletions down, so please bear with me.<strong>


	19. Chapter 19: PlatiNumb

**What is worth waiting six months for?**

**Well, a few things. Bone marrow. Equinoxes. Really really good pizza. My point is that while there are some things worth waiting for, this update is not one of them. It has three major problems, and they are these:**

**Firstly, the timing is wonky. This chapter starts off in the morning, whereas the last one may have implied (but did not actually say) that it was night. Remember that Ash slept in the center last chapter, so while the timing is weird it isn't impossible.**

**Secondly, Ash and May are in relationship limbo. Dawn comes in in chapter 19, so I had to blow May off until next update. Don't worry, she'll be sorted.**

**Finally, nineteen has a lot more impact than twenty. Normally I like to put boring chapters first in a pair, but for narrative reasons (and basic arithmetic), nineteen had to come first. Suffer through twenty with the knowledge that transitional chapters are necessary.**

**I could start listing reasons as to why this update was so late, but they are, quite frankly, boring. I also felt that an A/N is not really the place for a long winded excuse, so if you want to know why go to my profile page. That's all I'm going to say about it here. Enjoy the update, and please remember to review.**

**To my reviewers:**

**1111113: I find that Gary's perversions maintain more impact when left to the imagination of the reader.**

**Name Under Construction: Thank you for the multiple reviews. Chapters 1-8 were all uploaded at once, and represent my earlier work- I am curious, have you read further and declined from reviewing, or does my later work not interest you? Either way, your comments were appreciated.**

**Flozzer905: Thanks. I will continue to update when able.**

**grislybears- They shall. Not really in this update (Dawn took up a lot of my time) but soon.**

**Jaison15- I will.**

**Demilich- She's very different from her anime persona- read on to see for yourself.**

**Oh, PS- Special thanks goes to Russell B.T. Kirkpatrick, who read both Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 and gave feedback, and to Cyberbeta and Artoo-Detoo who managed to calm my frayed nerves by PM sufficiently so that I could write without having an aneurysm. Yeah, aneurysms are bad for the ol' creativity.**

* * *

><p><strong>19- PlatiNumb<strong>

"_**I don't believe in love at first sight, not even now. Love is too complicated to be instantaneous; it's a careful, brittle construct that has to be built on trust and compassion, two things that need time to develop. But I felt something the first time I saw Ash. It wasn't love, true, but it was one of the things love may spring from: Understanding. Ash could give me that, even from the first- he knew my pain.**_

_**He knew what it was like to hate the very essence of what you are."**_

**-Dawn Berlitz**

Beauty has always made me suspicious, and I suppose that isn't really surprising. I say that because I had always been uncomfortable around lies and the term 'Beauty', as we apply it to the females of our species, is really an artificial construct, isn't it? Take any attractive woman and odds are that most men will at least say that she's beautiful, but that isn't what they mean. We mean that her face is beautiful, her lips full, her rack gorgeous and her ass luscious... but we add all these up and arrive at the conclusion that she herself is beautiful, as if a human being could be assessed by adding together the sum of their parts. I'm as in favour of simplicity as anyone else, but I understood that breasts plus ass does not a soul mate make.

Misty and May, for example, would not have been beautiful to most people. Sure, people would say that they were, but they would mean something completely different. Even I, in my most passionate moments (which I admit were more intense than they were amorous- I still haven't nailed down the concept of 'romance' yet) would be forced to admit that Misty was more 'tomboy pretty' than she was classically beautiful. Even May, who did... interesting things to the libido would be better described as 'hot' than beautiful on a first assessment. That was the thing that enervated me about people who threw the word around; it wasn't a term you could casually apply to someone else until you knew them in and out- their best habits and their worst ones, their love and their hatred, their pride and their shame. I could say that about the girls, could tell you how I treasured the moments when Misty dropped her guard and let her feelings show within her eyes, could tell you how much I enjoyed the occasions when I could surprise a laugh out of May. Whatever anyone else thought, the two of them were beautiful to me.

I guess that it was my feelings for them that really started all the trouble with Dawn, because from the moment I saw her I could tell two facts about her for certain. The first was that physically at least, Dawn Berlitz was beautiful. The second was that it was an act.

What should I begin with? A physical description? It won't reveal as much as you might believe, but it might be a good place to start. Alright then, line up and pay for your ticket: Our tour of Dawn Berlitz is about to start. First up? The boots.

An odd place to begin, you might say, but this was probably the first time in my life that I'd hated a girl spec because of her footwear. They were the antithesis of all I stood for; impractical, expensive and pink. They were also a decent indicator of the girl's general mien: From her dark red brand-name coat to the delicate white scarf wrapped around her neck, Dawn practically oozed couth and class. The coat blossoms into a skirt near her hips, and a pair of long white stockings rises from her footwear to cover the gap. Her figure is slim but ample, and the dark blue tresses of her hair are swept back so as not to obscure her face. To top off her ensemble, a snow-white toque with a pink pokeball on it rests on her head.

A crown fit for a bitch.

You see, Dawn and I quickly- I'm talking femtosecond levels here- decided that we did not like each other. Dislike had quickly spiralled into active hatred, which had neatly transitioned into a free-for-all screaming match.

"Malign maladroit!" She screamed, her teeth (which were, needless to say, flawlessly white) bared in a snarl.

"Belligerent bitch!"

"Litigious loafer!"

"Witless whor-"

"Ash!" Hissed Gary, nudging me hard. "Shut it!"

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because you're about to alliterate yourself into a dungeon? Do you have any idea who that is?"

I shook my head stubbornly. Dawn and I hadn't really had much time to get acquainted, and although these days I usually tried to get to know someone before bitching them out, this time I hadn't found it necessary. Dawn, upon realizing that I was her partner, had glided across the auditorium to me, taken one look at my clothes, and then informed me in no uncertain terms that I was the scum of the earth. She'd been halfway through her speech about how grateful I should be to breathe the same air when I'd given her my friendliest smile and told her exactly what I'd do if she didn't shut up. She'd been taken aback at first- the hand gestures I'd used had been quite explicit- but she'd soon found her voice again. The two of us had gotten into it hard, and to be honest I'd forgot that I was yelling at a complete stranger- or that Gary was even still there.

"Girl named Dawn. Big ego. Small brain. I got a handle on this."

Dawn sniffed, disgruntled, and then brushed at her sleeve dismissively. "If you peasants are done scrambling in the mud, I have a tournament to compete in."

"Listen lady, if you don't shut up I'm going to shove your head up your-"

"Ash!" Gary yelled, obviously nervous. "Didn't you hear her last name?"

"What, Berlitz?"

"Yeah! As in, the house of Berlitz?"

"Drawing a blank here."

"She's a member of the Sinnoh royal family!"

Dawn grinned smugly, turning up her nose. "Its princess, as a matter of fact."

"Oh. Sorry your majesty."

"If you think a simple apology is sufficient to-"

"No, I meant sorry that I misspoke. I should have said: If you don't shut up, I'm going to shove your _royal _head up your _royal _ass. My bad."

Dawn's makeup is good- enough to accent, but not so much that it's gaudy- but not good enough to keep the red flush of rage off her cheeks. She balls up her fists, points her arms straight down, and stamps her foot, something I thought people only ever did in bad movies. She opens her mouth to give what I'm sure would have been another stunning rendition of my negative qualities when a gently restraining hand clad in a white duelling glove is placed on her shoulder. From behind her came a voice, calm and compassionate, but most definitely firm.

"I think, your majesty, that you may wish to calm down."

The effect on Dawn was as immediate as it was surprising- she went from trying to claw my eyes out to docile and simpering so fast that I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I saw something else too, something about her reaction that I don't think the others caught, but before I can think on it Dawn has moved aside and the person who restrained her has come into view.

Now, let it be said that I know life is unfair. Shit happens every day, and if you can't buckle down and deal with it then you'll get ground down in no time. I don't know if I'd ever been naive enough to believe that life was just, but even so I can't help but feel a pang of annoyance as the boy behind Dawn comes forward to stand in front of me and my friends. If life was unfair for us regular slobs it was because of men like him.

A Bishounen. Great.

I'd heard of them but I don't think I'd ever met one. Pretty boys sure- useless wraiths; limp, soggy creatures who spent the majority of their time conning idiot women into bed and who wouldn't last a minute in a real fight. I don't think I'd ever really met a dashing man either. I'd met a lot of soldiers, but they mainly wanted to drink until they went blind and then fuck until they went numb- they didn't waste time on something as ephemeral as romance. But this guy was something else. He was no mere pretty boy that was for sure, not with the rapier strapped to his side and the subtle sway in his walk that indicated he knew how to use it. Nor was he one of us honest jarheads- his features, though steely, were fine to the point of being delicate. He was tall too, well above my height. He was wearing a dark blue uniform with white trimming that I vaguely associated with some Sinnoh regiment, and I suppose he looked dashing in it- at least, he did if they way the girls near us started paying attention means what I think it does. The guy looked like he had walked straight out of a fairy tale, and although I wasn't usually prey to the various jealous trappings of my gender (what would the point be? I'd never stop) even I can't help but hate him a little.

Then it gets worse. He laces his arm with one of Dawn's, gives us a brilliantly white smile, and speaks in a well-educated tenor:

"I do hope the princess hasn't given you too much trouble- I'm afraid we're a long way from home, and a little out of our depth."

The newcomer seemed to be addressing our entire group, but his lively blue eyes settled on me, so I decided I should be the one to respond. I had just opened my mouth to assure him it was nothing, more out of a desire to avoid looking like an ass in front of the girls than any real intent to forgive Princess Puerile, when my stomach gave a sudden lurch. Wincing slightly, I cut off my half-hearted attempt at being friendly to ask a question.

"We?"

He nods his head in the direction from which he came, indicating a small group behind him and the princess. "My compatriots and I. We have the honour of serving her majesty."

His 'compatriots', as he called them, marched over to our group as soon as he beckoned for them. There are three of them, another guy and two girls, all wearing uniforms similar to his. The two girls stare at us, not hostile precisely but definitely intensely curious. The one on the left has light green eyes and short cropped hair, nearly the same red-brown colour of Gary's. The one on the right is taller, and possesses chestnut brown eyes and hair the same jet-black hue as my own. She has it done in backwards facing pigtails, and while her gaze is just as intense as her friend's, it seems far more friendly- disturbingly so really. She sees me looking and bats her eyelashes. I blink once in astonishment, and then look away.

"My name is Sir Lucas Hoseki, knight of the realm of Sinnoh." Said Lucas, the one who'd restrained Dawn. He bows, deep and long, before rising and introducing the others. "With me are the ladies Leona and Candice, fellow knights, as well as Sir- come now, Paul, don't be shy!"

Shy would not have been the word I would have used for the last person in their party. 'Dangerous' would have been better, 'Psychopathic' ideal. It isn't the pale, drawn face or the matted purple hair that would suggest a man on the edge; it was the eyes that did that. Not only do they have the glossy look of someone who isn't fully there, but there was also no separation between Paul's irises and pupils- he was aniridic, contributing to his disturbing appearance. He turns his flat, empty gaze at me, and decided some kind of comment was required.

"You're going to be fighting?" he asks. His voice is a surprise- scratchy, yes, but strangely strong, and not nearly as emotionless as you'd think. Unfortunately it isn't filled with a pleasant emotion. I wasn't exactly one to harp on fighting with people you'd just met considering my little display with Dawn, but Paul's voice carried with it such a bitter, unwarranted rage that I was a little taken aback.

"Yeah." I grunted cautiously, tensing. I didn't want to start something serious, not in the middle of a crowd, but they way Paul had spoken he was damn near ready to throw down on no provocation. To my surprise, my answer seems to calm him. He nods once, and then stares off into space.

"You can wait until later then." He whispers. I don't know if he even meant for me to hear- he's back to whatever vacant state he usually occupies. I realized with a start that he wasn't vacant at all, just doing exactly what he said he was doing- waiting. Those damn irises made it impossible to read him, but the hate in his voice made his message clear enough- if I got far enough in this tournament, the two of us would meet on the field and he'd deal with me then. It was an odd way to introduce yourself, but instead of commenting I decided to ignore it. That was probably safest.

Lucas clucked his tongue disapprovingly, but apparently also decided it was best to just ignore it.

"Yes. Well. Girls? Introduce yourselves?"

Leona did, giving us each a few words and a small clipped smile. She takes extra time with Zoey- the two of them are partners after all- but a fairly brief chat is all it took for both girls to decide they could live with each other and move on. Candice's introduction is next, and that's when things get interesting. Stepping past Leona, she stalks right up to Gary, Brock and I, bypassing Misty, May and Zoey entirely. Then she starts flirting, a novel experience- I'd been hit on before, but only in the classical 'blood and teethe' sense; this was something new. Of course, Candice was risking an extraordinarily painful end- trust me, death by Misty is not a good way to go. I think in the end only two things saved us, the first being that May and Zoey, equally angry, were in Misty's way, the second being that Lucas intervened.

"Come away Candice, you'll fluster the boys." He said, despite the fact that Gary was more amused than flustered and I was too confused to be much of anything. Brock seems far more distressed than either of us, as Lucas had put a stop to Candice's flirting before she could get to him.

"Well let's try that again shall we?" Lucas said. "I am Lucas, and this is Dawn- your partner. May I ask you to take care of her in the days to come?"

I began to mutter something vaguely reassuring when my stomach heaves again, worse this time. My hands begin to clench and unclench rhythmically, and I have to grind my teeth together hard- they're trying to snarl. I'm shocked by my reaction- sure, they guy is freakishly perfect but he's way more likeable than his companions. Squashing the urge to vomit, I reply.

"Sure." I grunted brusquely. Lucas seemed not to notice my discomfort, and extends his hand- I reach forward to shake it, and-

"_alwaysdifferentalwaysalone-"_

I shake my head, trying to clear it of the fractured images that assaulted me when I'd touched him. Lucas' glove-clad hand is warm and his smile is sincere, but the brief contact was one of the most unpleasant sensations I've ever felt. I break into a cold sweat and the hair on my neck stands on end. I wondered for a moment if I were having some form of fit, until a low guttural growl in my head lets me know what's making me feel this way. Or more correctly, 'who' was making me feel this way.

"_Kaelus?"_

He doesn't reply with words, instead unleashing a bestial roar of anger. I'm taken aback- he's a bastard, but I don't think I've ever heard him lose control before.

Kaelus' snarl cuts off abruptly, and I can practically feel him slink back down into my subconscious. He isn't gone though- he speaks to me, his voice laden with more hatred than I'd ever seen him display before.

_Kill him._

"_What?"_

_Now! Do it before he kills you!_

"_He's just standing there!"_

_He smells... wrong. He smells familiar. Like home._

The words make no sense, but I kinda get a feeling of what Kaelus means... Lucas does seem familiar. He reminds me of snow for some reason, snow covered in blood. And then... and then...

"_Sand. Grey sand everywhere, air I couldn't breathe, and them, they burned us, they'll hurt us-"_

_Kill him! Now!_

My hand tightens up instinctively as I wrangle with Kaelus for control, but it appears that I'm not the only one having a problem. The look of affable humour that Lucas has been sporting since he introduced himself froze and then dissolved. The amiability drains out of his features and is replaced by... nothing. Lucas is totally _tabula rasa _for a second, his mind obviously elsewhere. When he focuses on me again his eyes are sharper, more suspicious. His grip tightens to match mine, and although his smile returns, it's much more forced.

"Have we met?" He asks, trying to stare me down. I inhale sharply, push Kaelus back down and meet his eyes levelly.

"No. I've never been to Sinnoh."

He nodded, paying more attention to my gaze than my answer. I attempt to release his hand, but he holds on firmly and takes a step forward.

"It just seems as if-"

Rescue comes from an unexpected party. I had been tensing the muscles in my shoulders, preparing to break free or strike as necessary, when Dawn sinuously inserts herself between me and Lucas. Placing one of her hands on his chest and the other on the arm I'm still shaking hands with, she flutters her eyelashes at him and gently tugs on the arm.

"Don't be jealous Lucas." She drawls. "Welfare boy here can't hold a candle to you."

Misty disagreed if the low, threatening growl to my left was any judge, but now was not the time to get into it. Lucas hesitated, but his prior sunny demeanour returned as fast as it had gone, and he bestowed Dawn with a friendly but gently reproving smile.

"I'm not jealous, your majesty, merely checking out the competition." He turned my way and made a small bow, all traces of animosity gone. "I hope I gave no offense Mr. Ketchum, none was intended."

I grunt something appropriate, still not having quashed Kaelus to the point where I felt it safe to reply. There's an awkward silence amidst us until Brock asks what we should do next.

"Well," Leona began, "how about some training?" She gave Zoey an appraising look. "I'd like to see what my partner is capable of."

The others agreed that it would be a good idea, some with enthusiasm and others with weary acceptance. May, the most cheery among us by far, claps her hands together.

"Okay Misty, let's go train! How should I warm up?"

"Jumping jacks?" Gary and I suggest simultaneously, him out of habit and me out of whatever desperate emotion rules the love life of a fifteen year old. The suggestion went over less than well, but I escaped relatively unharmed- I'm not faster than Misty and Zoey when they're pissed, but I am faster than Gary. Racing over to Dawn, I grab her arm and pull.

"Come on princess, I don't want to be here when they remember me."

Dawn was reluctant to leave, so fascinated was she by the sight of my friends in a full scale tiff. "But it's just getting good! They- dear Arceus, do those bend that way?"

I glance behind and wince, then pull Dawn a little faster. "Not usually, no. Gary will be fine. He's flexible."

"But his-"

"Very flexible. Trust me when I say I doubt that's a new position for him. Now move it!"

She regained enough of her composure to recoil from me, brush herself off, and scowl. "And exactly where are we headed?"

"I have a training spot. If we're going to scrap, do you really want to do it in front of your boyfriend?"

"He's n- fine. Let's go."

Dawn pulled ahead of me, raising her nose in the air and refusing to look back. Not a wise move considering I'm the only one who knows where we're going, but for now I'm just content to get out of there. I wasn't actually worried about Misty; she had always encouraged me to be open with May and she knew I didn't give a damn that her own physique was slightly less than voluptuous. I was mainly trying to get away from Lucas, who worried me, Candice, who confused me, and Paul, who pissed me off. Dawn actually didn't seem to mind our abrupt departure, if anything she seemed more eager to leave than I was once I got her moving. Curious considering she was leaving her friends behind to go into the woods alone with someone she openly confessed to hating. Of course, there were plenty of explanations for that- maybe she wanted to get away from Paul, or maybe she just didn't want her boy-toy to see her arguing with one of the common folk. Strange though, I would have thought she'd at least have said goodbye to him- the only time she wasn't being a jerk was when he was near. Maybe she was playing hard to get? I wouldn't have thought that a princess would need to stoop to that, but given the way Dawn switched from belligerent to obsequious when Lucas was around, maybe she just didn't know how to express herself around him. Yeah, that was it.

Only...

Maybe it was just Kaelus making me too suspicious, or maybe I just imagined the whole thing, but there was one thing that poked a hole in the theory that Dawn was hot for Lucas and was just bad at showing it. The others hadn't commented, so maybe I'd just-... no. I hadn't been making it up. I know what I'd seen, and I'd seen it before I even started getting bad vibes about the Sinnoh knight.

When Lucas had grabbed her arm- that first time, when she wasn't expecting it- there was no way I could have made up that look on Dawn's face. The fear I'd seen had been too real.

* * *

><p>There was no true way to teach someone survival skills. You could give them all the guidance you wanted, but when it came down to it you were either a survivor or you weren't. Still, the Academy had tried to drill into us the knowledge needed to outfight, outrun, or outlast any threat, in an attempt to make sure that no more of us died than was necessary. Blaine and the Lt. Had spent endless hours teaching us about scrounging, shelter-building, and other survival skills.<p>

They'd never had a class on mini-skirts. I doubt they ever thought one would be needed.

"I told you you should have worn pants." I growled, hacking at another shrub with my knife. We were making much better time than the first time I'd gone to this place, as this time I actually knew where I was headed, but Dawn seemed to be having problems keeping up. "Tights don't offer enough protection."

"My royal dignity will not be thwarted by the vagaries of inclement climate!" She panted out from behind me, struggling up a minor hill. I sighed, reaching down to grab her shoulder and help pull her up.

"Your 'royal dignity' is probably bunching up like crazy. What is it about the jungle that made you think a heavy coat and a skirt was a good idea? We're hiking, not showing off to your boyfriend."

Dawn huffs and turns away. "For your information, Lucas is not my boyfriend... yet. He is one of many candidates selected from the most noble and respected of the houses of Sinnoh, all of whom put you to shame." Her pique disappears, and that vapid look of rapture she got around the knight returned to her face. "It is simply that Lucas' honour and grace has won him a well-earned place beside his princess."

"Really? So... how come you hate him?"

It was a shot in the dark, but I got lucky. Her 'spoiled princess' act is broken for a second, and she gaped at me open mouthed.

"W-what?"

"Oh... just a thought. Come on, we're nearly there."

Dawn spluttered, confused, but shut up and followed as she saw I was walking away. She stomps along behind me, furious-

_No._

"_So you're back huh? Decided to behave yet?"_

Kaelus ignores me. _"You are wrong, my host. She is not angry, she is terrified. Can you taste it?"_

I could, as a matter of fact; I hadn't needed Kaelus to tell me something was wrong. I still wasn't able to control the aura sight yet, not without Kaelus pitching in, but I'd begun to feel... I don't know what you'd call it. The flow of emotions? With Cynthia's help I'd begun to learn to sense the movement of aura in the world around me. I still wasn't very good at it- most days the power manifested itself as a vague headache- but even at my level I was able to tell that something wasn't right with Dawn. Kaelus just said she 'tasted' afraid, to me it was more like a feeling- just a general sense of tension.

Regardless of what she truly felt, Dawn was still acting as if she were angry, and so she didn't say a word to me until we reached my training spot a half hour later.

"Right." I said, dropping my pack and ignoring the indignant curses of Pikachu who'd been sleeping off his injuries in it. "I guess we should start be getting acquainted with each other's fighting style, so let's-"

"No." Sniffed Dawn, walking over to a log by the edge of the pond and sitting down.

"What? Why not?"

"Three reasons. One: I'm hot. Two: I'm tired. Three: I don't need your help to win anyway. Feel free to perform whatever training you feel necessary, but I can assure you I won't be joining in."

I shook my head disbelievingly. "Are you out of your goddamned mind? If we don't work together we'll be killed!"

"You'll be killed." She said calmly. "I'll be fine."

"We're a team!"

"You appear to be under a misapprehension, pauper, so let me spell it out for you: The Princess of Sinnoh has no need to rely on the sub-par combat skills of a dim-witted Kanto brawler. One of my breeding would never stoop so far as to-"

"Let out your Pokemon."

"...dirty foreign- what?"

"Let out your Pokemon." I told her, doing my best to keep the anger out of my voice. "I don't know why you even came if you don't want to train, and frankly I don't care. You can go get yourself killed in the ring if you like, but I won't let your team die because of your arrogance. Let them out. Now."

She opens her mouth to retort, but sees the look in my eyes and thinks better of it. "Fine!" she complied with bad grace, removing the balls from around her waist and letting her team free. Once they've materialized, she crosses her arms and looks away, dismissing me. I ignore her, and survey her team. Her team surveys right back, gazing at me with a form of confused curiosity. They're better than I'd feared but worse than I'd hoped for; they have the glossy look of creatures meant for show rather than combat, but at least a few of them look like they could go a few rounds if they had to. Still, there are some worrisome signs- the dress on the Buneary and the nervous way the Pachirisu jumps from foot to foot does not inspire confidence in their battle prowess. Pikachu and I look at them and back at each other and sigh. Dawn's team is 'cute'. Lovely. I assumed that such creatures would not really be an asset in battle, but was proven incorrect by the reaction to my next line.

"Okay." I said, clutching my forehead to stave off the oncoming headache, "Which one of you is the leader?"

Unholy hell broke loose.

The Piplup at the end of the line raised one flipper and then swaggered forwards, but was pushed to one side by Buneary, who smiled shyly at Pikachu and began to pose. Piplup, choosing to interpret this as a challenge to his nonexistent authority, bubblebeamed Buneary in the back of the head, knocking it over. It (well, probably 'she' considering the eyes she was making at Pikachu) picks herself up, furious, and attempts to punch Piplup. The punch misses and connects with the Mamoswine on Piplup's other side, and that's really where the chaos starts. A pokemon as large as Mamoswine does not need a target to cause mayhem, it was perfectly capable of raising hell all by itself. Before long Dawn's pokemon are all fighting as Pikachu and I watch on in a sort of resigned melancholy.

"We're going to die aren't we?" I asked as an extremely agitated Quilava goes sailing past my ear.

_(Everyone dies, Ash.)_

"Not what I meant."

_(Try to look on the bright side for once! Instead of a slow, agonizing death, think of it as taking time to savour the moment.)_

"Such a comfort. Okay, get them under control would you?"

He does, using the time honoured tradition that Pokemon everywhere use to claim dominance: Blasting shit until it no longer gets up. Dawn's pokemon, once they can move again, seem embarrassed if not truly penitent.

"Look." I told them, hands on my hips, "We're about to get into some serious shit and your owner wants nothing to do with me. This guy-" here I gesture to Pikachu, who bares his tiny but extremely sharp teeth, "is going to get you into the kind of shape where you'll at least survive."

Pikachu swaggered up and down the line of Dawn's pokemon, clearly in his element. He was a lazy bugger, but a damned good team leader when he had to be. He got Dawn's pokemon sorted, organizing them so that they were doing controlled sparring rather than just beating on each other. Eevee, fully healed up at the center and itching to get back in the action, came out to assist, and Riolu helped immensely with morale- he was a precocious kid, and not even the stoic Mamoswine was immune to his endearing brand of insanity. I watched them for a while, trying to divine Dawn's style from the actions of her Pokemon. It wasn't as efficient as training with her, but if she insisted on being stubborn then it was the best I could do. After a while I decided that I had learned as much about her style from her pokemon as I could, and decided to give her a taste of my own. She'd been watching me as the pokemon practiced- although she turned away every time I looked, I could feel her glare on my back.

"If you want to join in then just do it." I muttered, walking away from the pokemon so that I have my own space. Limbering up with some stretches, I began to run through a few of the simplest katas Riley had taught me. I wasn't planning to use most of those moves in real combat, but if Dawn was really watching then it should give her a good idea of my basic style.

"_Calm down Ash."_ He had taught me. _"Relax. You aren't fighting, you're finding your balance. Your center. Just focus on that and the fight will take care of itself."_

Moving faster now, I let the clean, graceful sweeps of Riley's kenpo behind and let them transition into the sharp, fast strikes that Lance had taught me.

"_Power, Ash. It rules everything, but most people have no idea what that really means. It isn't simply a matter of shattering your opponent- eventually you'll come across someone stronger than you. The key is to apply the correct amount of power in the correct way. Act as a fulcrum, Ash- find where the least amount of effort will bring the biggest gain."_

I had wondered briefly after hearing Riley talk about balance and Lance talk about power if they knew they were discussing two aspects of the same thing, but I figured it wasn't the apprentice's place to ask. I'd just kept my mouth shut and learned, and it had worked out for me so far.

I actually ended up getting pretty into the training, something that both Riley and Lance had warned me about. Although katas were restricting in the sense that all the movements were predetermined, they were also freeing in a way. You could lose yourself in their simplicity; find reassurance in their calm, well practiced execution. They could be used for both training and relaxation, and it was for this reason that I didn't notice that Dawn's Mamoswine had tripped and fallen in the lake until the miniature tsunami he'd created drenched me and the other Pokemon. They'd had more warning than I'd had and had tried to get out of the way, but most of them were just as soaked as I was. I splutter out a mouthful of water and turn to glare at Mamoswine. It grins at me, managing to convey as much repentance as a pachyderm can. I consider just letting it go, but... well, I guess life can't be all training.

I shrug, seeming to indicate that I don't mind, then suddenly surge towards Mamoswine and the lake. Hitting the shore I dive, smacking into the water by Mamoswine's side and catching it in the splash. Rising to the surface, I toss a handful of water at Mamoswine, who trumpets once in surprise and begins to fight back. He's a big guy, and our water fight soon spreads out to the point where the other Pokemon get soaked even further. They aren't quiescent for long, however, and with the exception of Quilava, who hates water, and Togekiss, who has no arms, the others soon dive in themselves and join us. Luckily I managed to catch Riolu just as he dived for the deep end and toss him back in the shallows. Dawn, sitting at the far bank, scoffs at us, then clears her throat and scoffs louder to be heard over the noise we make. The Pokemon, caught up in their fun, just ignore her, and I stick my tongue out, driven by childish impulse. She scowls, crosses her arms, and looks away. I frowned. I was getting pretty damn tired of the 'miss perfect' facade she was wearing. If only there was some way to- ah, excellent.

Bank mud.

I grab a fistful of the sticky brown substance and try to judge the distance. Pikachu, who's come over to my side for a temporary break from the aquatic madness I unleashed behind us, sighs.

_(You do know you're an idiot, right?)_

I shrugged. "Did you know she called you a diseased vermin on the trip over here?"

Pikachu considered it, and then nodded calmly.

_(Go for the hair?)_

I grinned. "Hells yes." I told him, pulling back my arm and letting fly.

* * *

><p>Cynthia was used to publicity, but the stares of Ash's friends were starting to get to her.<p>

It was her own fault, she reminded herself. Dawn wasn't even staying at this hotel, she was staying at the compound across the city that the Berlitz family and their retainers had requisitioned. She should have waited for her there, but she was worried about how she and her new teammate would react to one another- Dawn did not get along well with others these days, and Cynthia knew from personal experience that Ash could be dangerous when he was mad. So she had chosen to wait at the hotel, reasoning that the two of them would try and find their friends before doing anything else. The others had come here after their own training to relax in the lobby, with the exception of Lucas and Paul who begged off, claiming that they had too many duties back at the compound to sit around waiting for Ash and Dawn. Cynthia had known it was a lie; the two of them weren't even on rotation this week- it was most likely Lucas keeping the peace by getting Paul away from the others. Paul had gotten along with Ash's friends the same way he got along with everyone- horribly. Lucas, bless his heart, had at least managed to get him out before he and Misty had actually killed each other...

Speaking of the redhead, she was currently lounging on a couch, alternating between talking with the others and surreptitiously trying to observe Cynthia. With the exception of Candice and Leona, who knew her well enough to be comfortable in her presence, they'd all been at it off and on- they'd glance at her as if unable to believe she was truly here, and then look away as soon as they realized they'd been caught. Sometimes their reactions had been funny- the girls looked at her with undisguised awe and respect, and the tall tanned boy Ash had referred to as Brock looked like he was having some kind of fit- but the other boy made her uneasy. Ash had talked a lot about Gary, and Cynthia was aware that he was Ash's best friend, but the long, suspicious glances he'd sent her way indicated that the boy was far more intelligent than Ash had let on. Possibly more intelligent than Ash was even aware of, although the cynical part of her doubted that. Ash knew what being underestimated felt like far too well to make the same mistake with others, and the far more likely scenario was that Ash knew how much Gary had guessed and didn't care. Either way, Cynthia should be careful- Ash might trust his friend, but that didn't mean she had to. She'd been careful to avoid contacting Ash in front of his friends, so hopefully Gary's distrust was borne of the surprise of meeting a champion and not from a more informed- and dangerous- conclusion.

Cynthia blinked once, realizing that she'd been so deep in thought she hadn't heard the question May had just aimed at her.

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked what kind of person the princess is." The Hoenn girl repeated shyly.

Cynthia deliberated, wondering exactly how to best answer the question.

"She's... complicated." Cynthia stated carefully, figuring that that was ambiguous enough to be safe. Unfortunately for Cynthia, Leona did not seem to share her desire to be circumspect.

"She's a bitch." Leona growled, adding a depth of emotion to her voice that was unusual for the laid-back girl. "A cold, uncaring, snotty bitch."

"Leona." Cynthia hissed. "Hold your tongue."

"Why should I? We aren't in Sinnoh anymore Captain, I can say what I like." Leona frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She then turned to May, expounding on her previous statements. "Dawn is selfish. She needs the best of everything; she can't stand it when someone beats her at something. She tries to get all the attention, she's pampered, she-"

"Leona. Stop. She wasn't always like this and you know it."

Leona pouted, but allowed herself to be silenced. Cynthia sighed, feeling that she should reprimand her subordinate, but unable to bring herself to do so.

"I'm sorry." She said, turning to May and the others. "They were friends once, but..."

"What happened? To Dawn I mean."

Cynthia shook her head. "Who knows? Politics in Sinnoh is a dirty business. Maybe it all got to her- despite what you think, being a princess isn't easy."

Leona made a 'hmmpf!' noise at that, but Candice just laughed.

"Aren't you going to tell them the real reason Ma'am?" Candice snorted. It was her first contribution to the conversation, as she'd had her hands full trying to circumvent an overprotective Zoey, but at the mention of Dawn she'd dropped her attempts to flirt and taken an interest for the first time. "I mean, they're going to have to fight them eventually."

"Who?" Misty asked.

"Paul and Lucas." Candice grinned, licking her lips. "Two of the most dangerous boys in Sinnoh." She added, the dreamy look she sported making it clear that this was most definitely not a drawback.

"What do they have to do with anything?"

Cynthia sighed, figuring she may as well tell them now that it was out. "Dawn has always been unstable. That isn't particularly surprising, not in her station. But since Paul came along, she's been decidedly... more so."

"Bat-shit crazy is what she is." Candice said cheerfully. "Great taste in men though."

"Don't blame this on Paul!" Leona said hotly. "Dawn fucked him up, not the other way around!"

"What do you mean?" Gary asked, leaning in.

Cynthia placed her hand on Leona's shoulder, trying to calm her. When the younger girl was still, Cynthia turned to Gary.

"Several years ago, there was an attempt on Dawn's life that came very, very close to succeeding." She began. "Dawn was wounded quite badly, and it was decided that she needed more protection than just Leona and Candice. The guard was scoured for the most promising recruits who were Dawn's age, and the two best- Lucas and Paul- were assigned to keep her safe. Unfortunately, the attempt left her... changed. We had thought she was getting better, but... well, let's just say Paul was not a particularly good influence on her."

"How so?"

"He pushed her. He won't say anything where the wrong people can overhear, but he doesn't make any secret of the fact he hates her in private. He kept telling her it was her fault she was hurt, that she was too weak... that she was worthless. Dawn must have already been pretty strained from the injuries, because she basically fell apart. Her relationships with her friends and her mother deteriorated, and she became what you see now. If Lucas hadn't come as part of the package, she'd probably be a lot worse- he's the only one who can keep rein on Paul. He's been building her back up when he can, but every time she seems to get better Paul just breaks her down again."

"It isn't true." Sulked Leona. "Dawn became a jerk all on her own. She tried to lead both boys by the nose- the only difference is that Paul wouldn't have any of it. If you have to give pity, then it's Lucas that deserves it, not Dawn. He has to put up with her."

"Leona, look..." Cynthia began with as much patience as she could muster. I know you're jealous, but-"

"I'm not-"

"But!" exclaimed Cynthia, overriding her, "Your accusations don't play out. Dawn doesn't even want to be here, remember? Paul pushed her into it."

"I don't understand." Said Misty, trying to head off the argument. "If this is such a problem, why not just transfer Paul somewhere else?"

"Politics." Scowled Cynthia. "Paul comes from an old family. The queen needs their allegiance more than her daughter's happiness."

"That's awful!"

"Johanna's changed too." Cynthia whispered. "Being a Sinnoh knight used to mean something. Now it's all just secrets and lies."

May smiled up at the Champion. "It'll be okay! Ash will help her- he's good at helping people!"

Leona scoffed. "Yeah right. Did you really think he managed to faze her in that spat earlier? She may not look it, but Dawn's as cold as she is petulant- your little boyfriend might annoy her a little, but he isn't going to be able to shake her the way she needs to be shaken."

Leona said the last with a sort of resigned finality, and May was about to reassure her that Ash could make a difference when someone else decided to prove the point more effectively. There was an enormous crashing noise, and the doors to the hotel burst open, nearly ripped off their hinges with the force.

In the doorway stood what might have once been Dawn Berlitz.

The apparition did look sort of like Dawn, but Dawn didn't usually walk around with her hat skewed jauntily over one eye. She also didn't go around with one entire sleeve ripped off of her jacket, a missing boot, or- and this was really the key difference- soaking wet and covered in mud. The gooey brown ichor was splattered all over her, ruining her outfit and causing her hair to twist into a tangled mass. She stalked across the room furious, coming to rest in front of her teammate's friends and panting for breath. Once she had it, she hissed out a question laced with so much fury that even Cynthia shuddered slightly.

"Where... is... he?" She gasped, glaring at them. They gaped at her.

"I asked you where he was!" She screamed. "You!" She pointed at Misty, "And you!" - here at May- "Your Boyfriend is dead! Dead!"

Dawn's outburst was met with silence, at least until Leona, unable to hold it in, broke out in raucous laughter. Dawn started yelling at her until Candice joined in the merriment, at which point she yelled at them both. Realizing the scene she was making in public, Dawn blushed with embarrassment.

"We are leaving!" She said to Cynthia, ignoring the fact that the Captain of her guard was also trying hard not to giggle. Dawn grabbed the blonde's arm and led her to the door, marching her back towards the Sinnoh compound. At the door Dawn turned and looked back to Ash's friends.

"And the next time you see him, tell him..." Dawn flushed again. "Tell him I won!"

* * *

><p>"She did not!" I protested.<p>

May hummed a sympathetic note, but Misty was having none of it. She was angry again, probably because not only had I disappeared without telling her, but because I'd managed to get injured while I was at it. Not that it was serious- Dawn had had problems finding a target with the hat over one of her eyes- but I'd still managed to get thumped pretty good before I ran for it. Like all good cowards I'd managed to confine most of the damage to my back, and May was busy rubbing out what I hadn't been able to avoid while Misty chewed me out. The two of them had started working together recently, dividing my attention and making it damned hard for me to get away with anything. Even though my relationship with Misty was less than a week old and my relationship with May had yet to hit the day mark, the two of them were capable of acting eerily in concert when it came to spoiling my fun.

"I didn't ask who won, Ash." Misty said testily. Her angry facade was somewhat spoiled by the twitch in the corner of her mouth- I gather that the image of Sinnoh's princess walking in drenched in goo had been funnier than Misty was willing to admit. "I asked what the hell you thought you were doing going off alone with that b-... Dawn."

The three of us were in May's room, sitting Indian style on her bed. The other three had joined us for a bit, until I'd hinted that I wanted to speak with the girls alone. Gary and Zoey decided they had... uh... 'business' to attend to elsewhere, and Brock had decided to risk life and limb once more by propositioning the nurses at the center. I felt a little bad about excluding them so I could get some time with the girls, but I shouldn't have worried- Gary could take care of himself, and I'd already laid out a towel and an Icepack for Brock.

"Maaaayyyyyy..." I whined, appealing to my ally. "Misty's picking on me!"

"Yes she is!" May agreed happily. I groaned internally, realizing I would find no salvation there.

"My question still stands, Ash. What if she'd tried to get a leg up by eliminating you before the finals?"

"Unlikely. I'm her partner for this bit, not the competition, remember? She'd just be hurting herself."

"She didn't seem too confident in your abilities. What if she doesn't realize you're an asset?"

"Relax Mist, I'll be careful. No one's going to be getting a leg up on me... unless you and May would like to-"

I go silent, realizing that the glare shot from the front and the tightening of the hands on my neck meant that finishing the sentence wasn't worth it. "Anyway," I said hurriedly, "she isn't so bad once you get to know her."

"Yeah, Champion Shirona mentioned-"

"You guys met Cy- uh, a champion?"

"She was waiting with us. She left with Dawn before you snuck back in."

"Oh... what did she say?"

The two of them fill me in. I grimace once or twice as I listen, thinking on what they say- parts of it fit, parts of it don't. It helps to explain some of what I'd seen in Dawn, but I was missing something, something key.

"Paul?" I asked them, surprised. The girls look to each other and then to me, confused by the outburst.

"Um... yes?" Misty said. "You know, that purple haired bastard? No wonder Dawn is such a mess if that's what she has to deal with daily."

"You sound like you're sorry for her." I mumble, not really paying attention to the conversation. Paul? Something was wrong with him, sure, but I hadn't caught anything off of him other than the fact that he was a freaking nut-job. As dangerous as he may have been, he was nothing like Lucas, not in the bad vibes department. Still, from what they said Cynthia hadn't had any reservations about trusting Lucas, and she'd been about this far longer than I had. If she hadn't sensed anything amiss, then my own instincts were probably just screwy.

"_But you didn't sense it, did you Ash?"_ Came the nagging thought. _"Kaelus did."_

What did that matter? The Sinnoh champion was an Aura Adept. If there was anything odd about Lucas she'd feel it, and she definitely wouldn't trust anyone evil.

_She trusts you._

I had no idea how to answer that one, so I suppose it's for the best that Misty distracted me and kept me from having to reply.

She bristled at my last comment. "Sorry for her? Paul explains her attitude, he doesn't excuse it. I want you to tell her if she ever calls you 'welfare boy' in front of me again I'll make her eat that hat."

I grunted noncommittally. "And you May?"

I could feel May shrug from behind me. "Sorry Ash, I'm with Misty on that one. But if you think she's okay, why not invite her to join us sometime? Maybe she just needs some friends."

She had friends, at least in name. But if what the girls had told me about earlier was true, then Leona didn't like her either, Candice didn't appear to care much one way or the other, Paul loathed her, and Lucas...

Well, Lucas was the model gentleman. No wonder she was only nice when he was around- he was the perfect prince, leading Dawn to take on the role of a proper Princess. That was the fairy-tale ending right there, and if I hadn't been taught by someone as cynical as Riley I might even have believed it.

"_Trust in the aura, Ash. Your eyes can betray you, but your heart never will. Not if you're paying attention."_

Whatever my eyes were telling me, my heart was convinced Dawn was in serious trouble... and that Lucas knew more about that than he was letting on. I was about to mull over exactly what my options were for how to deal with that when a sharp, angry knocking came at the door. Misty and May looked up in confusion but I just grinned, pushing thoughts of Lucas and Dawn aside for the moment.

"Who could that be?" May asked.

"Probably Gary." I told her. "I'm actually impressed- I thought that Zoey would hold out longer than this. She must really like him."

"What do y-" Misty was cut off as the knocking came again, louder this time. "Mew he sounds angry."

"Good." I said, grinning. I was glad that my prank had gotten such a reaction out of him- after all, it took me forever to staple all those abstinence pamphlets through his condoms.

* * *

><p>"I'm still angry with you." Gary told me as the two of us sat in the stadium the next day.<p>

"Good." I said, ignoring him. I was too busy worrying about Misty to argue with him- she was putting up a damn good fight, but her moves weren't really designed for close quarters. Her opponent had managed to back her into a space-restricted area of the arena, and she was having problems evading him with the pillars hampering her movements.

"I mean, it isn't like Zoey is easy." He said petulantly, unwilling to let it go. "She's the kind of girl you really have to romance. It could take me days to get the mood right again!"

"She wouldn't have let you get anywhere anyway." I mumbled, watching as May's Beautifly dived towards an opponent, slashing at his head. He turned, flailing at it, allowing May the opportunity she needed to take the upper hand- literally. She grabbed one of his arms, pirouetted neatly and threw him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground with a force I wouldn't have believed her capable of. "What the hell were you thinking anyway? Shouldn't you take it slow with this one? She seems nice."

"I am going slow. I've got pants on, haven't I?"

"Thank Arceus for small favors."

"It isn't that small. Anyway, I was just... improving Kanto-Sinnoh relations."

"Uh-huh. And how much, precisely, did you improve them?"

"All the way to second base." He answered smugly. I managed to keep most of the jealousy off my face, but he must have picked up on some of it because his grin gets wider. "I would have gotten farther but someone had to go and ruin the plan."

"What plan, sweetie?" Zoey said from behind us, apparently having returned from using the washroom. She must have heard at least some of it- she wouldn't call him 'sweetie' without a lot of provocation- and Gary, realizing how much trouble he's in, tries to wave it away like it's nothing.

"Uh, Ash and I were just discussing... uh... baseball..."

I snorted. "Yeah, Zoey. Gary was just telling me that you haven't seen a long double-header since the two of you got together."

Gary glared at me, but Zoey just smiled and I cursed. She wasn't my girlfriend, but undoubtedly May and Misty were going to be hearing about this conversation word for word. These girls were going to be the death of Gary and me.

"How're they doing?" Zoey asked, switching topics.

"Fine." I told her bluntly. She nodded sympathetically and patted my hand.

"Relax, Ash. These guys are nothing compared to them."

I nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Gary and Brock had had their fight earlier that day and had won handily, beating their opponents in under ten minutes. Leona and Zoey had had a harder go of it, but had still pulled through. It was currently Misty and May's turn, and although I had faith in both girls, I couldn't help but be worried. Their opponents were both from Johto- nobodies as far as I knew, but they possessed the malicious ruthlessness that was so common to fighters from that region. May was fighting excellently, clearly outmatching her opponent in terms of both personal strength and team strength, but Misty was having a harder time of it. She was more used to battle than May but had ended up with the harder opponent, and I winced as I saw her Corsola get thrown through a pillar by her enemy's Bayleef.

That had been a surprise upon entering the stadium this morning. When last we'd seen it the arena itself had been barren, just an enormous ring for fighting in. I'd questioned what they intended to do with so much space, and today I'd received my answer- they intended to fill it with as much crap as possible to make our lives difficult. The arena that had been empty last time was now carpeted with sand, and pillars of rock had been placed in the fighting ring at various densities. Certain areas, like the one May was fighting in, were open, but Misty had been forced back into an area where juts and spurs of rock were plentiful, and it was clear it was taking its toll on her. She, like most water users, relied on quick, flexible attacks to ground the enemy down and then catch them unawares when they were tired. The newly added cover might have actually worked in her favour- she could have done a hit-and-run strategy- but the shifting sand was throwing off her movements, making it hard for her to use the graceful but deceptively effective attacks she was known for. She was also unable to generate any attack space, as her opponent would just slip behind cover whenever she tried to push him back with a long range move. May was dealing better- her opponent's pokemon had been weak, and were defeated early. With them out of the way, her own pokemon had been able to drive her human opponent closer to her, where her normal-type attacks were more effective. Blaziken would toast his ass whenever he retreated, May watched his front, and Beautifly would distract him whenever he attacked the other two. It was a good strategy, and it was clear that the guy wouldn't last much longer, meaning that the outcome of the match lay with-

_CRACK!_

I sighed. Once again, someone had underestimated Misty.

She'd slipped in the sand, something her opponent had thought was a mistake but which had turned out to be a feint. He'd sent Bayleef out to distract her struggling Corsola, and then he'd gone to deal with the downed Misty, and had forgotten all about Starmie's healing powers. The purple starfish had been hit hard earlier, and had vanished somewhere to recuperate. Her enemy had probably thought it was out for good, which meant he never even saw it coming when it hit him in the side of the head with rapid-spin. He was out, and with Misty now free of the distraction he posed, his Bayleef didn't last much longer. May's opponent collapsed from exhaustion soon after that, and the ref blew the whistle, signalling Misty and May as the victors. I breathed a sigh of relief and unclenched my hands.

"See?" Gary said, patting me on the shoulder. "Your girls are tough."

"Yeah." I said. "Damsels in distress my ass."

He laughs, and then shoves over to make room for Misty and May, who've just returned. The two of them plop down on either side of me, and Misty holds her hands up as I lean in.

"No- I'm all gross. Let me grab a shower-"

I ignore her and lean in for the kiss anyway. She huffs, annoyed, but doesn't back away further as I plant my lips on hers lightly. Gary makes 'oooh'-ing noises, which are abruptly cut off as Zoey kicks him in the shin.

"Done now Mom?" Misty asks me, smiling slightly. I nod, took a brief moment to admire the way the sweat made her outfit cling to her curves, and then turned to May to make sure she was okay too. I hesitated then- the moment May and I had shared at the center had been tender, but the two of us had not actually kissed, per se. We were still in the stage of romance that I liked to call 'Horny Limbo', and it was not entirely clear what my relationship with her actually doesn't seem to bother her though, as she smiles sweetly at me and leans forward. I return her grin and then-

"Attention all participants!"

-curse loudly as the announcer screeches into the mic. Now I know what Brock feels like.

"Could our next contestants please come to the holding area?"

"That's me." I sigh, the moment obviously now ruined. "I was up after you guys."

"Be careful." May tells me, then silently mouths: "_Later." _I nod, grinning, assure the others that I'll take care and head down towards the holding area. Dawn's already there, but ignores my entry. The official waiting with her turns to me as I come in.

"Simple rules, same as they've been for all the other fights today. You, your partner, and two pokemon each."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Killing is allowed but not encouraged. Anything goes, so watch yourself."

"Got it."

He leaves, and I turn to Dawn.

"Which two are you using?"

She blows on her nails, ignoring me. I feel my temper start to rise, but push it back down.

"I'll be using Pikachu and Riolu."

Having finished with her nails, she begins to play with a few of the strands of her hair. I curse silently, realizing that she has no intention of working with me. While there were many teams like mine- teams where the partners didn't know each other- throughout the day, most of them had shown at least some degree of teamwork. Misty and May, for example, had worked well together until near the end, where their opponents managed to split them up, and the fact that their teamwork had been so good had played a large role in their victory. My partner and I, however, were screwed- not only had I never seen Dawn fight, I didn't even know what type of Ki user she was. Her team was fairly varied but that didn't mean much; I'd known plenty of single-type Ki users who had diversified teams to cover their own shortcomings. So I was, for all intents and purposes, strategically blind. With any luck, Dawn will at least be apathetic enough to allow me to work with her, even if she refused to actively work with me. It's a small hope, but one I maintain right up until the gates to the arena opened and my plan was blown to hell.

We didn't have any warning this time; it was decided that for this round all contestants would be unaware of the identity of their opponents until the actual match. That meant that the first signal we have that the fight has begun is the gate dropping. I glance at the opening, not gleaning much- the view is obstructed by several rocky pillars right in front of the gate.

"Alright." I breathe, tensing. "Let's head left. You go out front with Pikachu taking the flank, and I'll try to move up the wing-"

Dawn ignores me. Instead of listening to the admittedly haphazard plan that was the best I could come up with, she released Piplup and Quilava then jumped up-

And up-

And up.

Her leap takes her farther than I would have believed possible for a human being- halfway up the nearest rocky spire, which has to be a good thirty feet tall. She lands gracefully on an outcropping and takes another small leap, bringing her to the top of the precipice, and then disappears from my sight. Quilava and Piplup take off after her, and I'm left to gape.

Well, that answered one question at least- she must be more than passingly fair with flying-type Ki or else that jump would have left her as little more than a Dawn shaped smear on the rock face. But it also raises a whole new batch of questions, foremost of which was the one I shouted next.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I yelled. I doubt she heard me- I couldn't even see her any longer- but screaming made me feel better at least. Deciding that I couldn't wait any longer, I release Riolu and tell him and Pikachu to follow me.

I rush in between two rocks, weaving my way through the terrain and trying to take as much advantage of cover as I can- Dawn can feel free to present an easy target if she liked, but I was sticking to ground level until I knew what I was dealing with. I ran, trying to catch up with her so that she wasn't eliminated before the match even got underway, but I knew I'd never actually reach her- Flying-type users were too fast. They couldn't actually achieve true flight, the human body wasn't built for that, but the good ones could manipulate wind in ways that acted like a minor form of levitation. She'd be able to move faster and jump higher than I could, so my desperate, scrambling sprint was more of a race against time than it was an actual attempt to catch her.

Even so, I was nearly too late.

By the time I clear the rocks and break out into an open area, both opponents have already found Dawn. The princess was fighting well as I far as I could see, but she was fighting solo- her pokemon were left to fend for themselves, and she threw herself against her opponents, heedless of strategy or teamwork. She still might have been able to deal with her opponents through sheer aggression if they had been at the level that my friends' enemies had been- she really was a decent fighter- but unfortunately for us, this was not the case. As I get close enough to start recognizing faces, I realize that we'd had the misfortune to draw two excellent- if eccentric- opponents.

Candice and Barry were showing teamwork, and it was evidently good enough that Dawn couldn't handle it.

I'd been able to recognize Candice from a distance; she was familiar enough. As for Barry, it wasn't hard to recognize him either- if the shock of blonde hair hadn't been enough, then I would have picked up on his near-incessant chatter. Still, as over-the-top as they guy is, I'd seen him battle in the previous rounds and he was no slacker when it came to training pokemon- no slacker at training himself either, considering the fact he was busy forcing Dawn into a corner. She probably could have at least matched him one on one, but not with Candice backing him up- the Sinnoh guard is busy blasting jets of fine ice-crystals at the princess, trying to slow her down enough for Barry to crush her. Dawn's pokemon are trying to help, but they really aren't cut out for battle- Quilava and Piplup between them are having problems with Barry's Empoleon. I can't blame them really- that thing was a tank- but their inability to break through meant that Dawn was essentially going one on five. You almost had to hand it to the princess- it took a certain kind of arrogant genius to land us in an impossible position before the battle had even hit the minute mark.

I suspect that Candice had known that Dawn would pull this stunt; their attack seems a little too well coordinated to have been made on the fly. My guess was that Candice had planned to let Barry distract Dawn so that she could get a clear shot at her, knocking my partner out early and practically winning the match there and then. Luckily Dawn had proven to be tougher than she looked, and Candice was still searching for an opening when I got there.

I didn't let her find one.

Rushing forward as fast as I can on the treacherous sand, I draw my knife, reverse it, and slash downwards, trying to whack Candice in the head with the handle. She must have heard me coming- subtlety was not a possibility, not with this footing- because she ducks as I move forward, backing away from the blow. She doesn't evade it completely, and I manage to whack her in the shoulder pretty hard, but it's a far cry from the knockout blow I was hoping I'd land... and now she knows I'm here. She raises her hand to the side of her mouth and blows, presumably using her Ki to modify her breath as it's expelled. The result is an expanding cloud of ice shards, and I'm forced to spin to one side to avoid being blinded. Dropping the knife, I lower my hand to the scabbard strapped to my belt, draw my sword, and slash outwards, trying to connect with her legs. It's a bad slash, but she still has to jump backwards to avoid it. Snarling, she rushed forwards again, and I grip my sword tightly, preparing to reengage-

The two of us, reacting to a common survival instinct, jump to the side before we meet. An enormous bolt of lightning arcs through the place where the two of us would have been if we'd reacted a second slower- I'd forgotten about the Pokemon. The bolt came from Pikachu who hadn't meant to hit us; he's just fully absorbed in his current battle with a Weavile- Candice's, I presume. I can't see Riolu and keep Candice in my field of view, but from the sound of things he's having problems dealing with whatever he's fighting. Candice and I stand, eyeing one another warily, and she purses her lips.

"Ignore them!" She yelled to her team. "Go after the princess!"

Odd... I wouldn't have thought a bodyguard would deliberately order her charge attacked. Of course, Candice may simply be trying to have Dawn knocked unconscious before Barry can do serious harm to her- it wouldn't surprise me if Cynthia had given a surreptitious order for the guard to take Dawn out as soon and as painlessly as possible to keep her safe- but she doesn't look concerned. Instead she looks... manic. Her face is more flushed than even our vigorous brawl could explain, and she's twitchy- she keeps darting out her tongue to moisten her lips, and her hands shake slightly. Fear I would have understood, contempt I could have tolerated, but she looks more excited that anything else.

"Follow them!" I call to my Pokemon, not taking my eyes off Candice. I had wanted to stick with them, reasoning that we'd fight better together, but I can't leave Dawn to fend for herself, not against odds that bad. Pikachu and Riolu, despite the reservations I know they must have had, take after the Weavile and what I now identify as a Frosslass- no wonder Riolu had so much trouble.

Candice shifts her stance, preparing to attack, but I raise my sword up between us and she halts, smiling.

"A niece piece, honey- long and hard." She drawls. "Too bad it's not gonna save you here."

Candice took a step back, and then raised her arms in front of her as if she were gripping an invisible bar. Closing her eyes in concentration, she began to mumble- probably some form of mantra, a chant to help with her focus. Taking the opening she's so thoughtfully provided- really, who closes their eyes in a fight?- I leap forward, binging my sword around in a devastating arc that should have resulted in Candice being too wounded to continue. I didn't want to kill her, but neither did I pull the blow- I swung with the flat of the blade, intending to cause enough blunt damage for her to forfeit before I had to hurt her. Although blades made in the eastern style tend to be quite lighter than their western counterparts, mine was well made and I could cause quite a bit of damage with it without even needing to employ the edge.

It would have caused quite a bit of damage, had it connected.

Instead it smashes into something hard, causing it to vibrate in my hands. Clenching down firmly to maintain my grip, I look to see what in the hell just went wrong. My sword had connected with-

Oh damn.

Candice, grinning like mad now, flourishes the naginata which a minute ago she had not possessed. It's a long weapon, a good seven feet or so, and made entirely of smooth, clear ice. Despite the length, she wields it easily, pushing my sword back and trying to club me in the head with the butt of her weapon. Instead of trying to parry, I combine offense and defense by shooting one arm forward, bringing it parallel to the haft of her weapon. The naginata collides with my arm, bruising it badly but failing to do any real damage. My strike is less successful- the impact of her blow knocks my arm to the side, and I end up slapping her rather than landing the punch I'd been trying for. Ignoring my attack, she pivots her stance, bringing her front leg back and swinging her weapon around the other way to strike at me with the blade. Fortunately she was on the guard side of my sword again, and I bring it down to block. Mimicking her own moves, I bring my back leg forward and knee her while she tries to back off. I would have finished her there, but as I moved in for the kill she used another Ki attack, breathing ice shards at me. I evaded the worst of it, but the deceptively weak-looking attack managed to slice up the flesh on one of my arms. Just a flesh wound, luckily; painful but not dangerous.

Candice and I back away from one another, moving just out of each other's range. Slowly, she and I began to circle, both of us keeping our weapons at the ready. For a split second the two of us paused, and in that time the sensations I'd been ignoring came flooding back- the beating of my heart, my slightly ragged breath, the feeling of the sand shifting under my toes- and the crowd. That's what I would remember later, the dull roar made by thousands of people chatting and cheering, oddly muffled by battle haze.

Then the moment broke. Candice moved in, ice at her fingertips and fire in her heart.

* * *

><p>"Mew." Steven whispered quietly as Candice struck, attacking Ash with a flurry of blows. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. He even moves like Riley did at that age."<p>

Cynthia beamed, proprietary pride written all over her features. "Yes- gracefully, but with a hint of danger."

Steven looked at her askance. Cynthia was normally a pragmatic woman, but Steven was aware of how much nostalgia and ardour could alter one's recollection.

"No Cynth, more like a Psyduck with a hemorrhoid problem. He's clearly outmatched in armed combat."

Cynthia scowled. The champions had been given a box all to themselves, ensuring that she had enough privacy to retaliate against Steven for daring to insinuate that her pupil and his sensei could be anything so graceless. Before she could move, however, Lance spoke up from beside her.

"No time." He mumbled, biting into one of his nails. "Had to teach him to evade, to survive. No time for the sword- I meant to get around to it but I never did."

Steven arched an eyebrow, surprised at the response. It had been years since he'd seen Lance bite his nails; it was a habit he'd dropped after Riley had teased him about it when they were kids. Smiling repentantly, Steven put a hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Ash will be fine, Lance."

Lance shrugged off the hand. "What do I care?"

Cynthia rolled her eyes. Her brother, for all his good points (and he did have a few, although Cynthia would never tell him that) could be so unbearably predictable at times. She smacked him on the back of the head lightly.

"Ease up, doofus. Steven here is the best medic the four regions ever produced. Short of getting that glaive through the face, Ash will walk away from this."

Lance rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off the fight below. "It's a naginata, not a glaive. The length and shape of the blade are-" Lance cut himself off abruptly, and the other two champions snapped their attention back to the field. They were just in time to catch what had captured Lance's attention; Candice had managed to get past Ash's guard and deliver a slash to his left leg. It didn't look to bad, but it was definitely bad enough to slow him down in a fight he was already having problems keeping up with. Cynthia and Steven winced, but Lance smiled.

"Damn." Cynthia cussed. "I was hoping he'd get farther than this. I was just about to start him on the good training too."

Steven shrugged. "There's nothing that says you can't train him even if he isn't- Lance? What are you smiling at?"

"See it?" Lance said excitedly, gripping the seat in front of him. "See the look in his eyes?"

Cynthia squinted. "You know, it does look kind of familiar..."

"Of course it does!" Lance exclaimed. "That's the look I always get when I'm serious!"

Steven covered his face with his hands. "Oh Arceus. Cynthia, tell me, I can't bear to look- is it the 'fetch the first-aid kit' look or the 'wait for it to stop exploding and pick up the pieces' look?"

"The latter I'm afraid."

The champions waited for Ash to make his move. Steven, although he would never admit it to the other two, was hoping for a painless surrender. Cynthia, whose faith in Riley had rapidly transferred to the apprentice that was more like him than he'd ever know, was expecting a cunning stratagem; she hoped for Ash to show his bravery and honour to the crowd.

Lance had absolutely no expectancies of the boy except for the assumption that his next move would be entertaining, and was therefore the least shocked when Ash leaned back and threw his sword at Candice's face.

"Yes!" Shouted Lance, as the other two sat there in horrified silence. "When the going gets tough, the tough get stupid!"

* * *

><p>"Did he really just do that?" Leona asked incredulously.<p>

"It would appear so." Lucas mumbled. "An... interesting plan, to say the least."

"It was effective." Growled Paul. "Look."

Taking advantage of Candice's momentary distraction, Ash had rushed her and borne her to the ground, knocking her weapon out of her hands as he did so. Being far more proficient at hand to hand combat than the armed styles, Ash had gained the upper hand- first he had engulfed Candice in a blue flash of electricity, semi-paralyzing her, and then he had straddled her stomach and began to wail on her with his fists. It was slow going- the boy still seemed reluctant to really damage his opponent, and was trying to get past her ever weakening guard instead of breaking it- but it was obvious that Candice was soon to lose.

"I didn't think he had it in him." Leona stated, nonplussed. "I guess the midget is just full of surprises. Did I tell you he managed to make the Princess mad? Like, actually mad?"

Lucas nodded, his calm demeanor belied only by the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Leona continued to babble, but her talk was wasted on the audience- Candice and Dawn weren't present, Paul wasn't listening, and Lucas was leaning back with his eyes closed, as if to forestall a headache. Leona, who was used to her companions' eccentricities, continued undaunted. Her talk was soon to falter though, as she noticed Candice's struggles beginning to slow down.

"Well, that's it then. A shame, really."

Lucas said nothing and Paul merely grunted. Leona glared at them, peeved by their lack of reactions- Lucas usually said something mild and appropriate, and even Paul could be counted on for an angry slur or two- but they were uncharacteristically silent. Turning back to the arena below, Leona was just in time to see Ash begin to choke Candice out. The girl's movement got weaker and weaker, sloppier and sloppier, until-

It was at this moment that the universe began to go wrong. The loss was annoying, and bad for Sinnoh's pride, but the fight was ended. Over. Finished. Chalk one up to Kanto and move on to the next match. What no one was counting on was the fact that the real fight had yet to begin.

Candice faded, and in her place something else awoke.

* * *

><p>"You idiot!" Cynthia screamed, smacking her brother upside the head. "What did you teach him?"<p>

"Awesomeness doesn't need to be taught! I must have rubbed off on him!"

"I'll show you some-"

Steven coughed lightly. "Despite the... unexpected nature of his attack, it seems to have borne fruit."

Cynthia let up, turning back to the fight. Ash had just tackled Candice to the ground, and was currently sitting on her chest, pummeling her.

"Not to impugn a member of your guard Cynthia, but doesn't she look a bit too... um, happy?" Steven asked as delicately as he could.

Cynthia sighed. Candice, despite currently being battered into unconsciousness, did not look particularly upset about the situation. In fact, several movements Candice made that Cynthia had originally taken as an attempt to strike back looked more like groping motions.

"I know." She said morosely. "Candice is just like that. Poor kid."

"I'm sorry?"

"She used to be such a wallflower- you wouldn't believe how shy she was. Then when Paul and Lucas got put in Dawn's guard she just... snapped I guess. She got tired of always being ignored by the boys and started hitting on every male in sight. I've tried talking to her, but-" Cynthia cut herself off abruptly and paled.

"Is something the matter?" Steven asked, worried. When she didn't answer, Lance asked her in a louder tone of voice than Steven had employed.

"I don't..." She muttered. "...something is wrong."

"Wrong how?"

"Just... oh no."

Cynthia turned back to the fight. She wanted to yell to Ash, to scream for him to get away, but she couldn't produce anything louder than a hoarse whisper.

"Ash, get off her! Something isn't right!"

* * *

><p>Candice made another feeble attempt to ward me off, but she was getting too weak to fight back. I'd avoided hitting anything vital, not an easy task given how hard she was struggling beneath me, but finally I'd worn her down to the point where she could guard no longer. Her arms dropped from exhaustion, and I pulled a fist back, ready to deliver the final blow. Despite the situation, Candice smiles up at me, and then opens her mouth-<p>

It was close. I realized just in time what she was about to do, so I lunged forward, grabbing her neck with both hands, and exert just enough pressure to disrupt the air flow. That meant that the torrent of frost she was trying to unleash into my face came out as nothing more than a puff of cool air, and that Candice was out of tricks. She paws at me, trying to channel Ki through her hands, but with her air supply cut off she can't focus and her Ki is wild, damaging her more than me. She gives it up and lays backwards, finally recognizing that she's lost.

There's an art to choking people- it isn't just a matter of squeezing. If you just try and overpressure the gullet then you can cause a hell of a lot of damage and it can take minutes to knock someone out. I was just trying to achieve the maximum amount of unconsciousness in the minimum amount of time, and had therefore placed both thumbs on her larynx and both index finger up into her carotids, blocking blood flow. It still wasn't instantaneous- it could take a good twenty or thirty seconds to get someone out that way- but it was faster than the alternative, and if I did it correctly she'd wake up with nothing more than a bad headache. Candice was not exactly my favourite person right now, but she'd fought well and I didn't really want to see her hurt.

The survival instinct can be a funny thing sometimes. In the modern world it has fewer applications, and can even be detrimental; having a hair trigger fight-or-flight system is not exactly the trait one wishes to see in a dentist or an accountant. But there are times in life- and I truly believe everyone goes through it at least once- when it becomes painfully obvious why the instinct has been conserved. Mine is set higher than most, and I'm grateful; without it I would have died then and there. As it was I leapt off of Candice, hit the sand a few feet away and then rolled for all I was worth. Coming to a halt, I glance back at the girl and wonder if I'd been wrong- she's still laying there motionless.

Then her clothes exploded.

I might have laughed at that if I'd been in a more rational frame of mind- I'd felt her wandering hands earlier, and dreaded the grilling May and Misty were going to give me when I was finished- but frankly I was scared shitless. You see, it wasn't that Candice's clothes had exploded off her body so much as they'd been forced off; Candice was... changing. As I watch in horror, opalescent spikes- icicles, I realize with a start- erupt from under her skin, flattening and widening to cover her body with sheer plates of ice. Her braids unravel and her hair freezes, going from its normal black lustre to an unearthly shade of blue. She screamed once- a scream of pain and fear, not one of anger- and then the ice reached her mouth, freezing it into a permanently blank expression. Shards of what look like crystal erupt from her shoulder blades giving rise to a skeletal wing system, and Candice writhed, apparently still in pain. The girl shuddered once- a whole body shudder- and then was still. Slowly she got to her knees and then to her feet, brushing sand off of her arms. She opened her eyes- no pupils, I noted, just a glassy blank sclera of uniform colour- and looked at me.

Again I was saved by the fact that my body acted independently of my brain. Without thinking about it I had made a desperate dive to one side, which was good- as I landed an enormous gout of sand erupted behind me, landing on my back as I scrambled to my feet.

"_No. Nothing moves that fast."_

But Candice had. In the time it had taken me to jump to the side she'd closed the distance between us and gouged a gaping wound in the sand, right where I would have been if I hadn't moved. She didn't even use a weapon- the ice at the end of her fingertips was curved, giving her claws. The extra armour that the ice afforded her I could have dealt with, but this... transformation she'd undergone had also apparently led to increased strength and speed. Candice had been tough enough before; in her new form she'd be impossible. I was in deep shit, and I knew it.

Not that the crowd cared, they stamped and cheered like always. Not that I couldn't relate- Candice was a good looking girl, and while the ice covering her was opaque enough to prevent indecency it was also skin tight. That would have been great if I'd been one of the crowd, safely tucked away in the stands, but as the man on the spot I can't help but pay less attention to her figure and more attention to her claws. She taps them against the ground slowly, eliciting a menacing clinking noise. Then she crouches down, preparing for what looks like another rush. I might be able to avoid it- 'might' being the operative word- but then she'll just try again, and she has to get lucky sometime. Instead of running I plant my feet, drawing aura to my fist and preparing to strike.

"_Don't watch her; you'll never see her coming. Feel her, feel the disturbance she'll make when she moves... wait for it..."_

There. The tiniest of disturbances, more of a feeling than a sense. I struck forward, ducking her claws and hitting her as hard as I could in the side. My blow connected, halting her-

And then I was flying.

I hit the ground hard, wondering what in the hell just happened. Once I remember that I'm in the middle of a fight I stagger to my feet, swaying. Candice is some distance away- she must have hit me hard- looking completely undisturbed by my attack. A network of cracks spiderwebs along her side indicating that the hit landed; she just apparently didn't care. Stalking towards me, she prepares for a new attack.

"_Damn it! What happened?"_

_Not enough control. _Kaelus replied tersely. I wasn't surprised he answered- he can be pretty closed mouthed when he wanted to be, but I didn't doubt for a second that he'd been watching the whole thing.

"_What do you mean?"_

_Your aura is still too erratic. Your lightning tears and shreds, but it isn't concentrated enough to penetrate her shell. You need to put more energy into a smaller area._

"_Advice?"_

_Ask the Cynthia woman for more training._

"_I meant advice for right now?"_

_Do you believe in god?_

"_Hell no!"_

_A pity. I'm afraid you'll have to find something else to make peace with._

I bring my attention back to Candice, who looks ready to strike again. Kaelus had been no help, but he couldn't let me die either... if he was making jokes, then there had to be a way out of this. If my aura wasn't concentrated enough, I'd just have to find a way to focus it. That sounded good in theory, but practice was a little harder- when I wanted to strike, I'd just build power into my fists and hit things. How was I supposed to focus that? A fist is a fist, it isn't exactly a precise weapon-

Weapons. That was it.

I'd forgotten all about the sword; after I'd managed to get a hold of Candice the weapon had been moot. It's still laying there in the sand where it fell after I'd thrown it at her, looking inviting but too far away to get to easily. It's at least ten meters away, and I can't get to it without going past Candice. I groan internally, but it isn't like I have much of a choice.

I rushed forwards, taking the initiative. Candice doesn't look surprised- she can't, not with her face a frozen mask- but she does hesitate. I lean forward and begin to force electric aura into my limbs, making it appear as if I'm about to attack. She strikes forwards and I dive, missing her claws by inches and landing on the other side of her. Clambering back to my feet, I scrambled madly forwards, running for the sword. Sliding to a halt I grab the grip, plant my feet and swing around-

Candice leapt.

She must have been able to turn around faster than I'd accounted for; by the time I had turned to face her she was already at the top of the arc that would carry her to me. I focus everything I can into the sword, hoping against hope that this will work right the first time. I knew that objects could conduct Ki- Ki was just an application of elemental force, anything that could conduct electricity could conduct electric Ki. But would it work for Aura? Riley had told me that Aura was a living force, it was practically woven into the fabric of the universe. I had used it on objects before, but I had no idea what trying to weave it through an object would do. There was a chance it would act as I'd hoped- that the aura would flow through the sword, taking the thin, deadly edge possessed by the blade.

I didn't want to bet my life on that, but Candice didn't give me much of a choice.

She struck. I struck back.

* * *

><p>The crowd held its breath. It had been an exciting match so far and was accompanied by much cheering and yelling for the most part, but when the two combatants came together for what everyone knew was to be the final blow, silence reigned. It was for this reason alone that the sound of steel clashing with ice could be heard across the length of the arena.<p>

Ash and Candice stood together, motionless. Her claws had missed, passing clear over his left shoulder. Ash's sword-

Ash's sword had smashed into Candice's neck, unleashing the electric blue fury it had been imbued with moments before it landed.

The crowd was horrified. True, they had paid for blood, but in the moment of calm that had overtaken the stadium the fact that they had just witnessed a teenage girl being semi-decapitated began to sink in. They waited for the splash of blood, the dead loll of the head that would bring the horrifying reality home.

It never happened.

As the shock of the conflict began to fade and common sense kicked back in, a murmur of relief spread through the crowd. It soon rose to a rumble of approval, and then became a storm of applause. Not only for these fighters, but for those who had come before them and for those who would follow, for all who would dare to step in this ring. Many members of the audience were merely caught up in the moment, but the brighter among them had begun to realize that this was not a game, not to those who were forced to live it.

Ash had given them a taste of death, but that grim spectre would not show his face today. Just before the blow had landed, the sword had been reversed- Candice had been hit with the blunt side.

Slowly, but with ponderous finality, her armour began to shatter.

* * *

><p>I blinked as the crowd began to clap, unable to believe it was over. Then I heard the brittle tinkling noise as Candice's armour began to crack, and I sagged with relief. The ice sloughed off of her in sheets, and her wings began to crumble. The mask on her face split in two, revealing her face- peacefully unconscious- and the area around her side where I'd punched her before broke off-<p>

For a brief second I just stared, flushing like mad. I'd forgotten that she'd been naked underneath.

Thank Arceus she was facing me at the time; I managed to get my shirt off and over her before the crowd got a good look at her. I received some booing for that, but I'm too busy checking for a pulse to notice. It was there, strong and steady- she's just unconscious. Breathing a sigh of relief I stand, wobbling slightly. I turned to go help Dawn with her fight-

God. Damn. It.

There she is, large as life, leaning against one of the arena walls. She might as well have been napping for all the concern she showed. I wondered briefly where Barry had got to, until I spy a pair of legs sticking out of the sand and realize that Dawn's battle has probably been over for a while. Pushing down the anger I turn to help the Pokemon, but it seems like they managed to do just fine without me. Piplup seems to be sitting it out- not his choice, he looks like he's injured- but Pikachu, Riolu and Cyndaquil were all currently clinging grimly to Barry's Empoleon, the only member of the other team still standing- Weavile, Frosslass and what looks like a Heracross are currently splayed in the sand, unconscious. I was just getting up the energy to go help out my team when the three of them attack simultaneously, smacking, burning and shocking Empoleon into submission. The bird goes down and the ref declares us winners.

Hah. Sure we are.

"I see you're done." I call to Dawn, not looking at her. "I could have used some help."

"That's a laugh. You honestly expect a princess to lift a finger for you?"

"No." I replied, still refusing to look. "I guess I shouldn't have expected honour out of you."

"What? You-"

"I don't expect shit from princesses." I said, keeping my voice flat. "I do, however, expect something out of Dawn Berlitz. I expect that Dawn, who I still believe to have some good in her somewhere despite recent evidence, is going to take her wounded friend's other side and help me get her medical care." This said, I bent down to pick up Candice's dripping frame, and managed to get her arm around my shoulder and mine around her waist. As I rose I thought for a minute that my wounded leg would give out, but I managed to steady myself and get Candice upright. Dawn had stopped leaning on the wall but had made no motion towards me- she kept looking back and forth between me and the seats that held the other members of her guard. I gave her a look. It was not a harsh look- I did not threaten, I did not plead. I merely let her know that there was a right way and a wrong way to live life, and I was making her choose right here and now. I am willing to put up with a lot of shit, but will never call someone who abandons a downed comrade my partner. Dawn hung her head, ashamed, and came over to me. She lifted Candice up by her other arm, and the three of us dragged out to the medical wing.

* * *

><p>It wasn't a long walk, really, the medical wing was kept very close to the arena for obvious reasons. It wasn't a full center; it was more of a triage and stabilization area where emergency cases were prepped for transport to the center. Ironically, medical personnel were on standby but weren't allowed to come onto the field for anything less than a life or death emergency due to 'safety reasons', so all Dawn and I really have to do is drag Candice down a hallway. We're relieved of our burden by an empathetic Nurse Joy and a somewhat apathetic doctor who snap a traction collar onto Candice, strap her to a stretcher and leave. Dawn and I, weary and bleeding, are left to our own devices. She makes to go, but I push her down into a chair.<p>

"Sit."

"What? You can't-"

"Wanna bet I can't? The doctor might be gone but there are med supplies here. Sit. We need to talk."

She looks unhappy about it, but stays put. I grab a med kit off the wall and crack it open, casting an appraising eye over Dawn. It's hard to assess the underlying damage on the girl, as she's wearing her usual outfit- she must have more than one, given how I'd destroyed the last one- but I'd noticed on the way over that she'd been moving oddly. Before she has a chance to complain again, I undo the buttons on her coat and open it, getting my first good look at the massive bruise on her shoulder.

"He must have hit you pretty hard." I commented, reaching for some ointment. Dawn flushes, and then closes her coat angrily.

"Y-you... you dare to-"

"Stop." I tell her, calmly forcing her arms apart. "You've got something on underneath, and that wound needs to be treated."

"J-just a shirt." She mutters, sounding more embarrassed than angry. I don't really get it- she's got a black undershirt on underneath her coat; I've seen girls on the street showing off far more skin than that. Hell, May shows off more skin than that just by bending over. Shrugging, I slide one of the straps of the undershirt and the bra strap beneath it down her arm and begin to rub the ointment onto the bruise. Dawn gapes at me.

"What in the hell are you doing!"

"I'm giving aid to an ally." I growl, letting anger enter my voice for the first time. "I realize that concept seems foreign to you, but do try to keep up."

"I am the princess of Sinnoh!" she hissed. "I see no need to sully my august personage by babysitting an insolent-"

"You aren't fooling anyone." I told her quietly.

"Huh?"

"The snotty princess act. I don't buy it. I'm actually a little surprised other people do; you aren't very good at it. But I guess people see what they want to see."

Her mouth opens and closes once or twice, but when she speaks again fear laced her tone, not anger. I appear to have hit the nail on the head.

"I d-don't know w-what you're-"

"I'm talking about whatever has you so scared. I will find out Dawn Berlitz. I guarantee it."

Dawn snaps, finally displaying real anger rather than the fake stuff she's been substituting. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" She screams into my face.

I look into her eyes, letting nothing but truth enter my words and my gaze.

"I'm someone who cares, Hikari. Whether you like it or not. You don't have to be alone anymore."

The words hit her hard. I knew they'd have some impact, but I hadn't expected pain. Luckily the look of forlorn agony that passes across her features fades quickly, to be replaced by confusion.

"Hikari? How do you know that name? I didn't think they even told that story over here."

"Story?"

"You've never heard about Hikari Berlitz and Aaron the Red?"

The two of us stare at each other, confused, but the moment is broken when the doors slam inwards. I'm not facing them, but the way Dawn blanches tells me who must be there.

"Evening Hoseki." I say."

"Ketchum." Comes the reply. The gentle politeness in his tone is still present, but is sounding awfully strained. I smiled as the sound of bickering voices comes from behind.

Paul and Misty too I see. Are you there Gary?"

"We're all here, Ash. We were worried-"

"As were we." Said Lucas in a clipped tone. "Now Mister Ketchum, please remove your hands from the princess so that we may be going."

"You know, that's just what I was thinking of not doing?" I told him, finishing up with the ointment and reaching for the bandages. As I begin to unroll them, I feel a hand land on one of my shoulders and start squeezing.

"Wrong answer." Breathed Paul.

I turned around to face him, and gave him the sweetest smile I could muster.

"Fuck off, Paulie. Scarier things than you want me dead."

Paul twitches, surprised. It's the first emotion outside of anger that I'd seen from him, but I can't waste time to savour the moment. I turn back to Dawn.

"I'm going to finish bandaging this bruise. Then I am going to treat my own wounds. Then I am going to dinner with my friends... and my partner. She is going to have fun if it kills her, which, considering how my friends have fun, it might. Then, and only then, will she return to the compound to sleep. Do I make myself clear?"

The hand tightened, and I heard the scrape of metal on leather. I don't know who drew the weapon, but it doesn't matter- friend or foe, I don't want a fight here.

"Enough!" I snap. Paul and Lucas, Lucas and Paul, the two of them presented a rather annoying enigma. They knew something, they must, but what? All I had to go on was a gut feeling telling me not to trust them; I needed more. But whether they had something to do with why I was here or whether they were just your ordinary whackjobs, I knew one thing; I was getting Dawn some time away from them as fast as I could.

"We're getting dinner." I grated. "We're going to have fun."

I could practically feel the tension in the room. I didn't have to turn back around to know what was happening; Paul would be working himself up to kill me, my friends would be watching Paul like a hawk, and Lucas would be smiling that damn smile. Alright Lucas, your move- risk letting Dawn out of your sight, or start a war by murdering a foreigner in cold blood?

He opted for the latter, calming Paul and then leaving. After they filed out I sighed, relieved. I clapped Dawn on the non-injured shoulder, giving her what I hoped was a friendly grin.

"Come on, princess, let's go have fun."

She arched her brows. "If this is how you people work, I'd hate to see how you have fun. Are there usually survivors?"

"Depends on how good you are at hiding the tequila from Gary."

* * *

><p>It was later. Fun had happened.<p>

Well, it hadn't so much 'happened' as it had been perpetrated, but in the end the evening had been an enjoyable one. It had not actually involved tequila- even here there were standards Dawn had to maintain- but it had involved laughter and friendship, two things she'd all but forgotten. It had also involved nearly illegal amounts of Gary, which would explain why the princess was currently in the shower trying to rinse the silly string out of her hair and the marker off her face. Leave it to the Oak boy to suddenly decide that the princess of Sinnoh would look more dignified with cat whiskers.

Dawn smiled under the warm stream of water, reaching forwards to shut off the spray. Gary had been the instigator of most of the activities that night, but as a princess Dawn was used to evaluating social dynamics and it hadn't taken her long to see what was really happening. Throughout the evening, Ash had been at the true center of things- ramping Gary up to new heights of stupidity, subtly encouraging the girls to warm up to Dawn and vice-versa, directing conversations so that they never led to fights- and she was, despite herself, grateful.

Dawn stepped out of the shower and began to dry herself, reflecting that the outing had not been all fun; Misty, May and Zoey had made sure of that. Not that the girls were unkind to her- they'd been icily polite at first, but had warmed up significantly as the night progressed- it was simply that they'd hurt her just by being. It was the way that Misty and May had looked at Ash, the way that Zoey looked at Gary, that made Dawn want to weep bitterly over the unfairness of it all.

No girl deserved to look that happy. No girl deserved to look that loved.

In some ways, the way Ash looked at May and Misty had been even worse than the way they looked at him. It was blindingly obvious that he was in love; every time one of them spoke his eyes would light up as if the girls were the best things that ever happened to him. The way he looked at them, the way he spoke to them, the way he touched them... it was enough to give you hope if you believed in love, and it was enough to make you nauseated if you believed in it but knew you'd never be able to feel it.

Dawn dropped her towel and stared directly at herself for the first time in a long time. She was physically attractive, she knew; with her genetics that wasn't surprising- she'd been bred and trained to be attractive, to be intelligent, to be perfect. Perfection was something she'd struggled for her whole life, something she'd never attain but would always yearn for.

And here, on some goddamned island in the back end of nowhere, a nobody yokel from Kanto had stared at two ordinary girls as if they were the most perfect beings to ever grace this world. The two of them would never have to fight for the impossible; to him, they'd always be beautiful.

Dawn looked her body up and down, trying not to cry. Her eyes, heedless of her determination, began to leak the tears she was trying so desperate to hold back.

"I'm beautiful." She whimpered, hating the way her voice came out shaky and uncertain.

"Would you like a second opinion on that?"

Dawn spun around, covering herself, surprised by the sudden intrusion.

"L-lucas! I-"

His hand shot out to grab her throat. She grabbed his arms, eyes bulging, but was powerless to stop him from lifting her into the air.

"You lied to me, princess." Lucas growled, all traces of his false persona gone. "You said he was just a normal kid."

"He... is..." Dawn gasped, choking. She'd seen Ask choke out Candice earlier, but this was no expertly applied attempt to knock her out, this was just a brutal, painful constriction of the throat. Lucas had no intention of letting her fall quickly unconscious, he was going to keep squeezing until she begged for mercy.

"That was not a normal attack." Lucas replied. "There's something more to him. Something you aren't telling me."

"Just... a... kid..." Dawn sputtered, saliva foaming out of the corner of her mouth. Her lungs burned now, and her head felt like it was about ready to pop off.

"Hmmm. I suppose it's irrelevant. I'll have Paul take care of him- end of problem."

Dawn's face had begun to turn the colour of her hair, and her legs were now beginning to jerk arhythmically. She was still aware of the deadly promise in Lucas' tone however, and so she found the will to reply.

"Bad... idea..."

Lucas dropped her. Dawn crashed to the floor sputtering, gulping air down her abused throat.

"Still defending him? I think you need another lesson, princess. You're getting uppity."

Dawn raised her hand in supplication. "Wait! No! Attacking Ash is a terrible idea!"

Lucas hesitated. "Explain."

"You were right- he's weird! I think he might know something- but he couldn't have found out on his own! That means-"

"That means he's getting help from somewhere."

"R-right... so if you kill him..."

"I'll attract unwanted attention. Hmm..." Lucas leaned down and cupped Dawn's chin. "I can't afford to leave him be, princess... so tell me, what do I do? How do I break Ash Ketchum without touching him?"

Dawn flinched out of his grasp, and hung her head.

"...girls..."

"What?"

"The girls." Dawn muttered weakly. "They're his weak point. The keep him stable- he's erratic when they aren't around."

Lucas smiled widely and gave Dawn a pat on the head. "See princess? Was that so hard? The girls... an excellent idea. Tournaments are dangerous things... yes, someone attacked them to get ahead, nothing that could be traced back to me..." Lucas laughed. "After all, what is a man without his friends?"

Dawn curled up in the corner and buried her hands in her knees. She didn't notice when Lucas left, didn't notice how cold she'd become. She was too far lost in regret. She had purchased Ash's life at the cost of those of his friends- the girls she'd laughed with earlier.

"_He will never forgive you. Not for this."_

* * *

><p><strong>Now some of you may be jumping to rash conclusions after reading this. I will caution everyone against making assumptions, especially in the next chapter. Who Ash is and who his enemies are will come to light eventually. I will make one thing clear now though, despite Ash's little flash of cognisance, he and Lucas have never met before. It will be explained later.<strong>

**Also: I am aware that Ash and Dawn are proceeding very quickly- he saw through her fast. Part of that is Kaelus' experience at sensing fear, but part of it is because I had no choice- unless you want chapters being 80 percent filler, I can't string out developments any further. This chapter is too damn cramped as it is, but it hits 20,000 words- I had nowhere to go.**


	20. Chapter 20: Shades of Grey

**Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...**

**Alright, I'm going to come clean here. Chapter 20 suffers from the same problem that chapter 18 did- it's necessary plot filler. Chapter 20 serves as a vehicle to further the plot a little and bring some important concepts up, but does not contain a lot of character-character interaction or growth. The problem is that 20 is in the same update as 19, which contained Dawn's entrance and a lot of revelations. Thusly while 20 is of average quality, it appears boring in comparison to its update partner.**

**Luckily I have the perfect personal answer to this deficit- I don't care. Apathy is a lovely quality to have, because right now I'm so busy trying to stay afloat at work that I could have uploaded a 20,000 word long string of curse words and I wouldn't care about the response I got. If you think this chapter is shit then feel free to say so, but I'm getting about 3-4 hours of sleep a night now- hell, I'm amazed this chapter is even readable. Leave negative reviews if you wish, I just can't promise that I'll be lucid enough to read them.**

**To my reviewers:**

**Unknown2615- She did rub Ash the wrong way, but he was able to see through it fairly quickly. This Ash, while still very dense, has had to become more perceptive in order to survive. Still, I can totally see Misty smacking her one.**

**Dark knight- I shall sir.**

**Crazywolf 1991- Thanks.**

**noshadowone- True. Ash's pokemon are still in the 'weak but versatile' stage. There are actually no more straight up, regulation pokemon fights in the tournament, but that doesn't mean the pokemon aren't important- Ash has his own personal fights, and he'll need all the help he can get.**

**An25- I truly do wonder if you know what that means to me. For me 'The Sun Soul' has always been the fic to look up to- it was the first fic I ever read and thought: Jesus, that's novel quality. I'm not there yet but... hell, a guy can dream. I'll keep working on writing, and maybe one day I'll be there.**

**Nobodyreallyimportant: 'dat Ash.**

**Burgerkong: Feebas is awesome. Too bad she's been sidelined- we'll see her again next update, but fot now she has to heal.**

**Sorry if I missed anyone. I think I already spoke to some of you via PM.**

**NOTE! THIS CHAPTER WAS PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CHAPTER 19! IF YOU ARE READING THIS FIRST, YOU HAVE SKIPPED A CHAPTER!**

* * *

><p><strong>20- Shades of Grey<strong>

"_**Become a Master? I don't see the point, really. I mean, Gary caught 'em all once, and it took him nearly six months of antibiotics to get better."**_

_**-Ash Ketchum**_

All things considered, I was in a pretty good mood when death finally came for me.

I should have seen it coming, I really should. It wasn't like it was a new experience; I'd had more than one brush with death recently. But hell, can you really blame me? Even I couldn't be on edge all the time, and I definitely wasn't feeling on edge when it happened. In fact I was happy- a rare state for me, but one I had cause to feel. It had been a good morning. I had won my usual breakfast eating contest with May (a heroic feat, I assure you- it isn't every boy who can say they've forked May Maple), Dawn had seemed to be opening up last night, and, best of all, Candice was going to be okay. Brock, who by this point was practically living in the Center- that was the drawback of being a Joy, if you broke him you were obliged to put him back together again- had stopped by at breakfast to say that she'd probably be awake today or tomorrow. I'd been relieved. Although Candice hadn't given me the option of doing anything other than what I did, I was still glad she was okay- taking a shock to the head was a good way to get brain damage, but according to Brock a mild and transient case of retroactive amnesia was the worst we could expect.

So I was in a fairly decent mood as my friends and I walked down to the stadium that morning. I wasn't precisely what you'd call elated, but I was feeling good enough that we were halfway to our destination before I thought to ask why we were going at all.

"I thought there wasn't any fighting today?" I asked, perplexed.

"There isn't." May answered, snuggling Eevee. Whether it was for the warmth or for the fun of taunting his trainer, the little bugger had taken to curling up in May's shirt whenever he got the opportunity. Riolu, who thought it was some sort of game, had promptly taken up residence on Misty's head and declared it his territory. Neither of the girls seemed to mind, and when I'd offered to stop my Pokemon from being so clingy they'd made several snippy comments to the effect that I was no better when I could get away with it. Pikachu, who had wisely chosen to stay out of it, maintained his usual perch on my shoulder and despaired of us all.

"Then why are we here?" I asked, failing to keep the irritation out of my voice. It was the first day in a while where I hadn't had a battle to fight or one of the champions trying to train me into the ground. I hadn't actually seen Lance or Cynthia since my fight; by the time I'd gotten patched up neither one of them was to be found. That was annoying- I wanted to ask Cynthia about Candice- but the two of them had other responsibilities, and I suppose those had to be dealt with at some point. Whatever the reason for the disappearance, I had intended to take the utmost advantage of it by having a day off. Misty, despite being on the swim team, had proven reluctant to appear before me in a bathing suit since we officially began our relationship. My plan for today had consisted solely of bugging Misty and May until they went to the beach with me, and thereby achieve a fifteen year-old's one and only goal by convincing girls to take their clothing off.

"But," May continued, "there's some more training today."

"Again?" I asked, incredulous.

"Don't be lazy Ash." Misty reprimanded. I would have retorted, but that would involve telling the girls that I'd spent most of the rest days training with Lance, something I couldn't do. I suppose I did appear lazy to the outsider, but my reluctance to do regular training stemmed from exhaustion, not lassitude. Keeping up with the Champions was hard, and I couldn't exactly ask my friends to go easy on me with the training without telling them why.

"Besides, today is special."

"Why?"

Gary snorted. "Because enough people finally got hurt that they can say it's switched from qualifiers to elimination rounds."

"I would have thought Barry got pretty damn eliminated."

Gary shrugged. "It's just a title, Ash."

"But I thought we were done with qualifiers back in Kanto! Isn't this tournament already one-loss out?"

Brock coughed delicately. "I think they mean something else when they say 'elimination', Ash."

"What- oh. Was the last round that bad?"

Gary nodded. "No deaths, thank Arceus, but some the casualties were... less than minor, let us say. I heard some poor bastard lost everything from the knees down when his opponent slipped."

"Mew above!" May gasped, horrified. "Can't he sue the organizers for that?"

I shook my head. "He wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Even if he'd died it wouldn't matter- it's assumed when you step in the ring that you're taking your chances."

Brock smiled. "Still, the Joys here are the best I've ever seen- if you can be saved, you will be saved."

"Our bodies don't matter if this thing takes our soles." I muttered. May nodded obliviously, but Misty, who had known me and my sense of humour longer, sent a warning glare. The girl had a talent for glaring, somehow using her eyes to threaten the sex life that I did not, in point of fact, actually have.

"Anyway," I said hurriedly, "you were telling me why this is important?"

"A lot of people got hurt, so the organizers of the tournament decided they should give us access to higher levels of training. They've brought in some highly qualified battlers to train us."

"Really? Who?"

"The elite four."

I stopped walking and began desperately searching Gary's face for signs that he was kidding. He wasn't.

"Which ones?" I asked, suspicious. The elite four were, quite frankly, some of the strongest trainers any region could produce. Just the threat of sending them in was enough to resolve most minor conflicts, and using them to whip a bunch of whelps into shape seemed like a gross misuse of resources.

"Most of them." Gary answered. "Devon says that they couldn't just stand by while so many young people got injured, so they requested the help of the various governments. Said governments graciously sent there most sagacious agents to help preserve the warriors of the future."

By the end of the sentence Gary's tone has gotten so sarcastic I'm amazed he doesn't spit. The two of us, despite moving in vastly different social spheres, share a certain cynical view of the world and Gary's tone tells me the real story.

"Let me guess." I sighed. "The blood got good ratings and bad press. Devon's bringing in some of the most vicious bastards available to train us, which both covers their asses and ensures we get more adept at hurting each other. And the governments agree to this... why? Don't they need the elites at home to suppress unrest?"

Gary smirks. "No point in turning off the stove when the house is on fire. The governments agreed because none of them are willing to be upstaged by the other. This tournament seems to have come at a very opportune moment- a lot of interregional attention is being focused here. They sent the elites because they want to win- I'd be amazed if they hadn't received covert directions to train candidates from their own region more effectively."

I thought about the reaction that such an order would get from Cynthia or Lance and laughed.

"The elites aren't going to play ball are they?"

"Nope. They'll train whoever they like, and they aren't going to let the government tell them to ignore foreigners. Which is why I'm going to sign up to train with Lucian and Drake."

I nodded, unsurprised. Most regions did not make a habit of publishing information on the strengths of their forces for obvious reasons, but the elite fours were a bit of an exception. The groups were too small and too high profile to be truly secret anyway, and they'd taken on something of a celebrity status. My own knowledge of foreign elite fours was a little hazy, but as far as I could recall Lucian was largely a tactical fighter and Drake had been battling for the last eon or so. Both coupled power with strategy which suited Gary down to a tee.

Misty announced loudly that she was going to train with Lorelei, something that is utterly unsurprising to anyone who's known her for five minutes- Lorelei has been her idol since she was a kid. Brock apparently holds the same kind of regard for Bruno, a fighting-type user. May and Zoey ruminate for a bit, as neither one of them has any real preference. Eventually they decide to split their time between Steven, who seemed kind, and Lorelei, so they could be with Misty.

"The Champions are training too?" I asked them, wondering if this was my chance to talk to Cynthia. "Wouldn't everyone want to be trained by them?"

Zoey laughed. "You've obviously never met one Ash! Just do yourself a favour and stay away from them, okay? Steven is alright, but Champions Shirona and Wataru... well, being a champion is a stressful job. I don't think their actually allowed to kill you, but you hear stories."

"I could probably tell you a few more." I muttered. Luckily no one heard me, for at that point we had reached the stadium and everyone's attention was focused elsewhere. Entering, my friends and I join the crowd at one end of the room that has centered itself around a notice board. Pinned to the board are profiles of the various elites, each listing their strengths, visions and goals. Apparently we're supposed to pick the fighter or fighters we think we match up with the best, and then train with them for as long as we can stand. My friends disperse, wanting to get to their various lessons. I hang back to read the board, trying to decide whether or not going to any of these is worth it. I was pretty tired and would prefer to simply sleep, but Cynthia was listed here, and I really should go talk with her...

I said earlier that I was in a good mood when death came for me, and I was. The worst I thought I would have to look forward to was a training session with Cynthia, and considering that other people would be around, she couldn't push me too hard. Maybe I could even drop by Lucien's or Lorelei's classes to see my friends, and when we were done I was sure there would be enough light to hit up the beach by. It was a nice thought and I felt mildly upbeat, which was about as happy as I ever got.

That was when I felt the hand grab my shoulder. My own hand flashed downwards to grab one of my knives, but in the half second I had taken to react I'd been able to recognize the hand's owner and realized that fighting would do no good.

"Hey Lance." I said evenly, trying not to make any sudden movements. "Uh... what's up?"

"Nobody picked me." Came the sullen reply.

My gaze flickered back to the board and I cursed silently, realizing that Lance did indeed have a profile up there. I hadn't seen it at first, probably because I hadn't wanted to.

"Nobody chose to train with you, hmm?"

"Nobody ever picks me."

"Well Lance, maybe you should have written a better summary on your profile. As in, maybe you should have written something period. Did you really think pictures of yourself flexing was going to get many takers?"

"Strength is important." He grumbled, and I sighed. Lance, I was coming to realize, was not actually stupid, and did not possess even a trace of vanity. He was just simple. Strength is important, friends are important, pride is important, and to him that was about it. That didn't make him stupid, it just meant that his motivations and desires were about as complicated as a knife to the face.

"I agree Lance!" I told him with fake cheer, desperately trying to pull the hand off my shoulder. "Strength is important, which is why I should go train! I was thinking I should choose-"

"Even Cynthia got some takers." He said, completely ignoring me. "But you're a good apprentice, right Ash? You'll come train with me!"

I wanted to decline, I really did. Lance was in a mood, and when Lance got moody objects around him- like, say, me- tended to get broken. But I assented wearily, unable to turn him down. It was strange, wasn't it? The man could kill me with three fingers and a bit of string, but refusing to train with him would have been like kicking the world's deadliest puppy.

Lance leads me down a series of hallways, whistling to himself. I wasn't really in a whistling mood myself, and I just followed him dully until he ushered me into the room where the two of us were to train. It wasn't as large as the personal gym he and Cynthia had back at their rented manor, but it was large enough.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked, running through some stretches.

"Well, I thought we could address some issues that came up in your last fight. I'd forgotten how... spastic your education has been."

"Um, interesting word choice. Spastic?"

"Your style has no cohesion. You've been taught to different levels in different things by different people, and it shows- you can't integrate your moves into any sort of strategy. I mean, take that sword fight- has anyone ever taught you how to parry?"

"Yes, I know how to parry!" I snapped. "I did it to Candice's attacks, yes? What do you call that?"

"I call it flailing and getting lucky." Lance sighed. "My fault. I should've remembered that you never had access to decent training."

"Hey! Riley trained me fine!"

"He did. Moreover, you have one hell of a talent for tactics, and you're damned lucky when the chips are down. Those three factors combined are the only reason you're still alive." He raises his hands, forestalling my protest. "I'm not trying to insult you Ash. It's just, your major talent isn't fighting, it's surviving- staying alive in situations where no one else could. Candice was a member of the Sinnoh royal guard, Ash. Do you know what that means? She's been receiving top notch training in combat for over a decade now. I realize that you have more experience with actual, do-or-die fighting, but we need to get your formal training up to spec."

"Okay." I grumped, "How?"

"Well, Riley had the right idea there- throw the basics at you hard and hope something sticks. Still, we're running out of time, so I'm going to start using some high level techniques. You just work on evading them, and try to pay attention to what I do."

That was when Lance pulled the biggest sword I had ever seen out from behind a bench. 'Claymore' did not do this thing justice, it was longer than I was tall. Lance is simple, right? In other men the sword might have indicated a need to compensate, the photos on his profile might have been vanity. Not in Lance. To Lance a sword was a sword and muscles were merely tools used to shove various implements of death into your enemies nethers.

"What are you doing?" I asked nervously. He smiled, then whipped out a black hip flask and began to pour a clear liquid onto the sword's blade.

"Just giving you some motivation!"

"Lance, that isn't... that isn't gasoline, is it? Because it smells like-"

"Oh, don't worry. This isn't gasoline."

"That's good-"

"No gasoline doesn't burn nearly hot enough. This is a special type of Magmar glandular secretion. It's great stuff- it gets so hot, any wounds I inflict will cauterize, and we can just keep training without worrying about blood loss!"

Lance whipped out his lighter and touched it to the tip of his sword. The ensuing flame had no truck with normal, soothing red and orange fire; instead it exploded into an incandescent white blaze.

I backed away as Lance approached me, grinning.

* * *

><p>"She is quite good, isn't she?" Lorelei asked, cocking her head to the side. Cynthia followed her gaze.<p>

"You mean Misty?"

"You know her?"

"She's one of the princess' partner's friends."

Lorelei nodded placidly, questioning Cynthia no further. The ice mistress had a knack for taking things in stride, a talent she had developed after years of bonding with her ice types. She found that it was best to respond to any situation just as they did- coolly.

Lorelei nodded to herself. "Hmm. Yes, she really is good. A bit on the prideful side, but who isn't at that age? I think I shall have to have a talk with her teachers one of these days. Talent is far too easily lost when it isn't properly managed."

Cynthia nodded in agreement. "True. Are you going to bring her to the Plateau?"

"In good time, Cynthia. She's young yet- let her have her youth. Once she settles down a little I feel she'll make an excellent addition to Kanto's forces."

"Hallelujah." Cynthia answered grumpily. Lorelei smiled.

"What? Is the famous Baroness of Celestic upset over a foreign power acquiring a promising recruit?"

"Please don't call me that- you make me sound like a dowdy old bitch. And I'm not upset that you're recruiting, I just wish I could believe I'm not going to have to kill most of the people you manage to get someday."

"It might not come to that, Cynthia. Look at us- we get along, don't we? Maybe Kanto and Sinnoh can do the same."

"Sure. You want to see the state of Sinnoh's foreign relations right now, go take a look at what your student and mine are doing to each other."

Lorelei looked up and laughed. Cynthia, due to her fearsome reputation, had only had a few people brave enough to train with her. She had therefore decided to throw her lot in with Lorelei, an old acquaintance, so that she'd at least have someone to talk to. That arrangement meant that each group of students got more exposure to the styles of their fellows but unfortunately it also meant that Dawn and Misty had ended up in the same group. The girls were currently engaged in a practice spar that made most natural disasters look unenthusiastic in comparison- Misty had launched an unending barrage of accelerated water droplets at Dawn, who was using her wind based powers to push them back at Misty. The ensuing chaos had soaked both girls to the skin, and the two of them were also screaming at each other at the top of their voices. The term 'skank' seemed to predominate the discussion, although there were also aspersions cast on each others' parentage, intelligence and sexual orientation.

"Ah, to be young again!" Lorelei laughed. "I wonder what they're fighting over?"

"A boy."

"Ah. They are vying for the same young man?"

"Yes, although I don't think Dawn knows it yet."

"It sounds complicated."

"It is. Misty has been in love with him for years apparently, and Dawn... well, he confuses the hell out of Dawn. I think he even frightens her a little, although not in a bad way."

"So what makes you think she likes him?"

"She won't shut up about how much she doesn't like him."

Lorelei nodded as if this answered everything. Suddenly a smile crept onto her features.

"So how's-"

"Riley is fine." Cynthia answered, staring straight ahead. Lorelei giggled slightly.

"Is he-"

"Yes."

"Have you-"

"No."

"Okay, okay. Have it your way."

"I will, thank you."

Lorelei glanced sideways at her friend.

"I could lend you some toys that-"

"Dammit Lorelei!"

"Just trying to save the disaster that you call a love life, sweetie. And speaking of disasters, how is Lance?"

"Fine."

"Mmm, good. He will be unavailable later tonight."

"He will?"

"Yes, he's taking me to dinner."

Cynthia thought about the last statement. "Does Lance know about this?"

Lorelei grinned. "Not yet, but I'm sure he'll be amenable when he finds out."

"Let me guess: he had better be."

"See Cynthia? You're better at romance than you thought!"

"Well, at least having dinner with you will cheer him up. He's bound to get despondent when no one wants to train with him."

"Didn't you hear? He actually got a student this time."

Cynthia nodded aimlessly, but froze as what Lorelei had said actually registered. "What? Who?"

"I don't know, some boy from Kanto... is everything alright?"

"Lance is training a student, without you or I supervising and you're asking me if everything is alright?"

"Ah. I begin to see the problem. Girls!" Lorelei called to the assembled students, "Champion Shirona and I just need to... check up on Champion Wataru and his student for a moment, and we can't really leave you here unsupervised." At this point she smiled at Dawn and Misty, who looked abashed. "Therefore, why don't we all take a break and go see what's what, hmm?"

One of the girls raised their hands. "Ma'am, did I hear correctly? Someone was dumb enough to train with that psychopath?"

Lorelei sighed. "He's a very sweet psychopath once you get to know him, and yes, he is currently training a student. Or burying one. Let's try to find him before that point, okay?"

The girls chorused a wary assent, and the entire group moved to the hallway to begin the search. Cynthia led the way, striding purposefully down the halls.

"How do you know he's this way?"

"Notice the burning smell? Where there's smoke, there's Lance."

A few of the girls laughed at that, but Dawn merely asked a question. "Surely no one would be so foolhardy as to go off alone with a Champion whose reputation for reckless brutality is legendary?"

Cynthia didn't answer, she just winced and picked up the pace. Dawn and Misty looked at one another in shock, temporarily united by the horror of the thought they'd just shared.

"He wouldn't...?" Dawn let the question drop. Of course he would. Racing after Cynthia, the girls soon came upon the doorway through which Ash had entered earlier. Cynthia reached forwards and grabbed the knob, pausing when she felt the warmth in the metal. Bracing herself, she forced the door open and took a step into hell.

That was her first impression, anyway. The room was alight with the glow of a hundred small fires, and smoke billowed out of the doorway, obscuring the room. Through the haze the Sinnoh Champion could just barely make out the scene within, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Ash was living up to his name it seemed, as the boy was covered head to toe in soot. He was currently backed into a corner, his sword held protectively in front of him, and did not look to be in good shape- his breathing was ragged, a product of exertion and the toxic air, and his eyes had the glazed look of one who's mind is currently doing happy little cartwheels at the edge of insanity. Lance stood in front of him, stripped to the waist and laughing like a banshee. Sweat dripped from the Champion's body, but he appeared not to notice as he approached Ash with the flaming sword and a calculating look. Cynthia whirled around, slammed the door shut and leaned against it hard. The girls gaped at her.

"Uhh... Champion Shirona? What just-"

"What brother?" Cynthia asked guiltily.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing! Nothing! Nothing is happening okay?"

"We saw some smoke-"

"Everything is fine!" Cynthia wailed. Although this was quite evidently a lie, those assembled might have been willing to take a Champions word for it, but at that very moment there was an enormous twanging noise and Lance's sword burst through the door about an inch from Cynthia's head. After penetrating nearly a foot through the door it stuck there, causing the wood to smoulder. Cynthia and Lorelei exchanged the kind of smiles that indicated a certain red-headed champion was about to be skinned alive.

"Lorelei, would you be so good as to continue the girls' training? I'm afraid I'm needed at the moment."

"Of course Cynthia. Just remember to tell him about dinner tonight- I need him intact enough to swallow and pay the cheque."

Cynthia nodded distractedly, then opened the door and darted in. There was silence for a moment, and Lorelei began to count under her breath.

"Miss? Should we-"

Suddenly an enormous thud resounded, and the door shook in its hinges.

"Four seconds." Lorelei sighed. "Lance must be getting faster. Shall we go, girls?"

Misty cleared her throat. "Uh, I'd like to check on-"

Lorelei shook her head. "Relax, Cynthia will take care of Lance." There was a muffled scream from the room beyond. "Good care!" Lorelei added cheerfully, leading the girls back to their own room.

* * *

><p>"You're an idiot." Cynthia told Lance hours later. I personally could not have agreed more, but was unwilling to get caught up in the fight to come.<p>

"Oh, come on! At least now he knows how to fight with a sword! Tell her Ash!"

"Yeah, Ash!" Cynthia put in sarcastically "Why don't you tell us how you feel about Lance's little lesson? Was there any benefit to that at all?"

I pondered for a moment, unsure of how best to answer. "Well... I no longer fear hell..." I hazarded. This sets off another argument, with Lance making the point that fearlessness was a good quality to instill and Cynthia countering with the claim that Lance was still an idiot. I sighed and took another sip of the tea in front of me, trying to gather my thoughts.

After Cynthia had interrupted my little brush with death earlier (or _Lance Macabre _as I was already starting to think of it), she'd sent Lance and I back to the manor with strict orders that I bathe, bandage and feed myself. She herself had gone to finish training her students, so Lance and I had sat around the house, nursing our various wounds and commiserating over our experiences with women. We had tried to give each other advice, but it turns out that zero plus zero is still zero so that hadn't gone too well. We'd wanted to train- well, Lance had, and I was too tired to be afraid by that point- but were unwilling to risk another scolding, so eventually Lance had just begun to describe techniques while I'd sat there and absorbed as much as I could. Cynthia had returned late in the day, and had immediately put me on meditation training while she and Lance spoke. Apparently they'd been fighting the entire time I'd been meditating, because when I'd come out for my break they'd been involved in the current scuffle.

Watching two extraordinarily powerful warriors bicker like children was always good for a laugh, but today I didn't have time for it so I decided to interrupt.

"Cynthia?"

She huffs at her brother, but turns to face me. "Yes?"

"What happened with Candice the other day?"

Cynthia folds her arms. "I take it you're referring to her transformation?"

"Yeah. I mean, what the hell was that? I had this awful feeling and then she just... changed."

"I know. I felt it too. I just wish I could tell you what it meant."

"You don't know? She's one of your students isn't she?"

Cynthia smiled ruefully. "Come now Ash, remember where I'm from? When someone from Sinnoh has a secret, what's always the reason behind it?"

"Damn. Not bloody politics again?"

"Sorry. Candice is a member of the Suzuna family, an old clan of ice users. They guard their techniques very jealously-"

"Meaning it isn't surprising that she has a move you don't know about." I deflated. "Okay, let's look at this from a different angle. We were fighting, she was losing. Both Cynthia and I get this awful feeling and then Candice changes. How did we know it was coming?"

"It could just be battle instinct." Lance offered. "The drive to survive can seem like a sixth sense in retrospect."

I nodded. "True, but that doesn't explain why Cynthia felt it too. There is another explanation, however..."

I glanced at Cynthia and she laughed. "What, that we can both feel aura? Candice isn't an aura user Ash, I can guarantee that."

"Fair enough, but she didn't have to be using it for Ash to pick it up, right? Didn't you say aura is supposed to be a part of all things? Wouldn't a metamorphosis be enough to alter her aura flow, even if she wasn't actually wielding the damned stuff?" Lance asked.

Cynthia frowned, thinking. "It's possible, I guess." She nodded. "Yes, that must be it- Candice used a powerful Ki attack passed on from her clan, one that lets her change into the thing you fought. The transformation must have been distressing enough to cause a change in her flow of aura, one that we both picked up on."

I nodded uncomfortably. That was the conclusion I'd reached at first too, but my experience with the Tyranitar had led me to a different answer, one that was simpler and far nastier. "Yeah, that could work... but doesn't it seem a little pat?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Candice isn't fighting in isolation..." I let the sentence dangle, too uncomfortable to finish. Cynthia, the quicker-witted of the two, draws herself up indignantly.

"Are you suggesting that Candice is an enemy?"

"No! Not exactly! You already said that she can't use aura, right?"

"Correct." Cynthia states, still a little ruffled.

"But I felt a disturbance before she changed- before, okay? Not during. So the effects of the change couldn't have caused the shift in aura, it had to be the aura that caused the change."

"I thought we agreed she couldn't use it?"

"I don't think she can, but it could still be used on her, right?"

"You think someone did this to her." Lance stated, looking thoughtful. "That someone managed to transform her... why? To get at you?"

"It wouldn't be the first time. Doesn't it make sense though? One of our enemies finds out that I'm here-"

"How?"

"I'll work that out later." I told her, unwilling to get into my experience with Lucas and Paul just yet. "Someone suspects me, wants me gone... but they don't want to attract attention by doing it directly. So they wait until Candice and I are fighting, pump a lot of aura into her-"

"And change her." Lance finished. "Making her powerful enough to kill you and insane enough to want to try. Would that work? I didn't know that aura could harness people like that."

"Neither did I, but when I fought her I was able to run it through my sword. Who says people aren't the same?"

Cynthia rose. Lance and I glanced at her, and then looked away quickly as we caught the expression of rage on her face.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Candice." Cynthia answered.

"I didn't think she was awake yet."

"She isn't. I'm going to go watch over her. And if I find out who's been fucking with one of my guards..."

She left the threat unfinished. Marching out of the house she slammed the door, leaving Lance and I alone again. He gave me a long, steady look.

"You know something you aren't telling us."

"No. I suspect something... something I can't tell Cynthia about."

"Spill."

"Well... I'm no expert in aura yet, but I don't think you can just hijack someone's mind randomly. I think people's defenses are a bit better than that."

Lance shrugged. "I've seen Riley do some incredible things."

"Have you ever seen him turn someone he'd never met into a coordinated killing machine?"

"Hah. No."

"Right. I don't think that some random person could twist Candice that badly. I think they had to be familiar with her- they'd have to know her mind, how it worked and where the right levers were."

"Meaning that Cynthia would also be familiar with them." Lance mused. "She is a powerful woman Ash. What exactly makes you think that there would be an enemy that close to her and she wouldn't know about it? She'd sense them in a heartbeat."

I paused, wondering how to proceed. Lance had faith in me, but this was his sister...

"What if she'd been told not to?"

Lance stared at me, and I decided to plunge forward while I still had the initiative.

"I know she's really powerful but so are our enemies! Sensei told me once that it's easier to manipulate people into doing what they already want to do, so-"

"You think her mind has been altered." He stated flatly. I shook my head.

"No, she's too cunning to be messed with directly. But she's a really good person Lance. What if one of the Grey One's- like, a really strong one- just gave her a slight compulsion to trust her allies? Wouldn't she want to do that anyway?"

Lance's stare continued, and I twitched uncomfortably. Finally: "They would have to be very strong. Cynthia is no mere apprentice; the woman has an iron will. To influence her even slightly..." Lance sighed. "Alright, what do you suspect?"

"Lucas and Paul are involved." I stated bluntly. "I don't know how or why, but they are."

He grinned. "Paul I can believe, but Lucas? Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure of anything, I'm basing this all on gut feelings. Isn't it perfect though? With Paul there, who would ever suspect Lucas?"

"True. Okay, so how do they fit in?"

"I'm not sure yet. Let's say one or both them can use aura, and they try to get Candice to kill me, or at least put me out of the tournament to keep me from stopping whatever it is they're planning. Meanwhile, their... backup, or superiors, or whatever influence Cynthia into trusting those close to her... which gets her coming and going. She really trusts her allies, but when evidence comes in that suggests they aren't what they appear to be-"

"Then she automatically suspects Paul. Lucas isn't even considered." Lance mused.

"Exactly. She thinks he's the reason Dawn is still sane- how much evidence would she need before she even considered him a threat?"

Lance whistled. "You got a devious mind kid. I never thought it would come to the day where I'd have to go behind my sister's back."

"I know. I'm sorry, but you see why I can't do anything, right?"

He nodded. "No evidence. No proof. Nothing but your word against Paul's, Lucas' and Cynthia's."

I sighed. "People are going to get hurt, Lance. I know it and I can't stop it."

Lance smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. "Welcome to the world of law enforcement, kid."

"What am I going to do?"

"Only what you can. Wait. Watch Lucas and Paul like a hawk, find out what they're up to. And when they spring it, we'll be waiting."

I nodded unhappily, and Lance shook his head.

"Besides, whatever Riley tells you there's more to life than Aura and the guardians. You also need to focus on the tournament. Go get Kanto some international recognition- we could use it."

"The tournament is just a cover!" I burst out angrily.

"I know. But if our enemies are going to try and pull something, when do you think they'll do it?"

"The finals. Nothing else makes sense- if they've gone to all the trouble of manipulating this tournament, then they want attention."

"Right. Get into the finals and watch your back. Let me deal with the rest."

I sighed wearily Lance glanced at me, concerned.

"You really don't look like you've been getting enough sleep, kid."

I shook my head. "I sleep fine, I just... I dunno. Dreams, I guess. I never feel rested."

"Riley and Cynthia were the same when they first learned this stuff. Glad I never had to put up with Aura- it's powerful stuff, but it fucks with your head. What do you dream about?"

"I don't remember." I told him miserably. "All I get are flashes and fragments-" I paused, remembering something Dawn had said to me yesterday. "Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"Who was Hikari Berlitz?"

"That old story? Just some Sinnoh myth."

"Oh... so she wasn't real?"

"She was real all right, I just doubt she did what the Sinnoh royal family would like to believe she did. Has Riley taught you about the Old Empire?"

"Just a little bit."

"Hmm. Well, after the capital was destroyed, a few aristocrats from the empire managed to escape. Apparently the Berlitz family was important even back then-"

"They date back to the Old Empire?"

"Yep. They're probably the oldest family in Sinnoh. Anyway, a few of the Berlitzes managed to get away from the chaos. They found a refuge somewhere and managed to set up a pretty comfortable life for themselves- back in those days, not being killed by age forty was the lap of luxury."

"They didn't fight the Grey Ones?"

"Some might have, but the majority just stayed quiet and hoped like hell that their enclave wouldn't be found. They were scared, see? Everyone was scared... at least until Hikari Berlitz was born."

"Why? What did she do?"

"Well, the story goes that she was always braver than the average Berlitz- she was more like her ancestors than her contemporaries, if you get my meaning. She wanted to fight back, but her parents and the Berlitz family advisors were always sitting on her, trying to keep her restrained. They might have succeeded too, except one day she fell in love with a soldier and ran away from home."

"Arceus... he must have had one hell of a good pick-up line."

Lance shrugs. "Yeah, well Aaron the Red always did have that effect on people."

"What?"

"Hikari fell in love with Aaron. Followed him around half the world if the tale is correct."

I waited for Lance to continue, but he stayed silent. "And? What happened then?"

"I don't know. I never did care for history very much, and the records are pretty muddled anyway. Eventually Hikari united the shattered remnants of Sinnoh and founded the Berlitz dynasty. Aaron died at Camaran. The Berlitzes like to claim that they're related to Aaron, but I doubt it- he never had any recorded heirs, and the person who took Hikari's place on the throne after her death was one of her cousin's children."

I closed my eyes and let my head slump, confused. Riley had told me to protect Hikari, a woman who must have been dead for thousands of years. Had he been telling me to protect her ancestor Dawn? Why ask in such a roundabout way? It was barely possible that he was giving me some kind of veiled hint or clue, but that didn't really explain why I'd made the connection between Hikari and Dawn before I'd known they were members of the same family. Could Riley have told me the same story and I'd forgotten it?

Too much. Too much too fast. I'd lost the first decade or so of my life to amnesia, and now I was imagining dead women in my friends' faces. I needed some rest. I stood up abruptly, grimacing at Lance.

"I'm going back to the hotel. I need sleep."

Lance muttered his assent, recognizing that further training would be pointless for today. I let myself out the back entrance and began walking back to the hotel. The sun had just began to set, suffusing the city with a strange orange glow and marking the time as late enough that there would be no trip to the beach today. I shrugged that off indifferently at least- I was full of worries now, and would not have enjoyed a trip even if there had been time. Entering the hotel and taking the elevator up to our floor, I paused as I passed by Misty's room. I hated to use her as some kind of emotional bandage, but it had been a hard day...

I knocked softly. There was a brief susurration from behind the door, and then a click as the lock slid back. Instead of the fiery red hair and loving scowl I'd expected, I'm confronted by the brown locks and devious innocence of May. She looks up, surprised, and smiles when she sees it's me.

"Uh-"

"Misty's in the shower." She tells me. "We were watching TV together. I can call her if-"

"No! I mean- uh... what's up?"

May grinned and patted me on the side. "It's nice to see you too Ash, but I can go get Misty if she's who you're looking for. I don't mind."

"It's okay. I don't really want to bother her."

I turned then, attempting to head back to my room. May, reacting to whatever telepathic signals girls are capable of when they enter a relationship, grabs my arm to stop me. I turn back to her and she leans into me, planting her head in my chest and wrapping her arms around me.

"You're upset." She stated. "Is this about training? Misty told me about that Wataru guy-"

"No." I muttered into her ear. "No, he's a hard-ass but he's okay. I'm just worried."

"About?"

"Everything. Whether I'll get hurt, whether you'll get hurt. Whether I fuck up whatever it is I have with you and Misty..." I sighed. "Sorry. It was just a long day. Will you go to the beach with me?"

She giggled. "What?"

"Before the tournament ends. You and Misty and I. We'll just head to the beach and relax..."

"It's a date." She promised. At that moment we heard the shower go off and I released May, who frowned.

"She doesn't mind if-"

"That isn't it. I just don't want to get beaten for being so angsty."

May smiled at that, wished me a good night and shut the door. I plodded back to my own room, unlocked the door, and nearly punched Riolu as he leapt at me from across the room. Checking myself just in time I grabbed him instead. Eevee, curled up on one of my pillows, snorts.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, surprised. "I left you two with the girls, and-" my eyes narrow as I spot the lump of yellow fur trying to hide under the bed. "you ran away when Lance pulled the sword out."

_(No shit I ran! 'Kebab' is not in my job description!)_

"Coward. Are you a 'mon or a mouse?"

_(Both, in case you'd forgotten.)_

"Right. Where were you all day?"

_(I spent most of it with May. She really took to Steven's first aid course.)_

"She was good at it?"

_(No, not really. She just looks smokin' in a nurse's outfit. You'll find out, I think she bought the thing.)_

I grinned. Now if I could just find one in Misty's size, my next injury would be something to look forward to rather than run away from. "What about you, Riolu?"

_(I went with Misty!) _he squeals.

"And what was that like?"

_(Awesome! I hope Ms. Dawn lady is okay though.)_

"Dawn?"

_(She was training with the blonde woman, but she didn't look too good. Her Aura was really sick.)_

"What do you mean sick?"

Riolu does his best to explain, but it doesn't go over so well. That isn't much of a surprise- he's a dog who talks with his mind trying to explain a force that has more to do with feelings than with physics. In the end, all I can gather was that Dawn seemed extremely depressed, and although she fought with Misty she was more focused on avoiding her.

"I'll talk to her about it tomorrow, but for now it's bedtime."

Pikachu and Eevee nod, but Riolu protests as I jam a toothbrush into his mouth.

_(No one else has to!) _he complains through a mouth full of foam.

"Pikachu can survive on ketchup if his teeth rot out, and Eevee makes his own arrangements- no, don't ask me how, I don't want to know." I told him as he struggled. "Besides, Lucarios are omnivorous- don't you want a nice, intimidating set of fangs?"

That calms him down, and it isn't too long before I have him and the other two settled in bed. Ducking under the covers myself, I settled in, preparing for another night of fractured dreams.

* * *

><p>It wasn't a dream, Lucas was certain of that at least. To dream you need a soul, and that was one piece of useless baggage the Sinnoh guard had managed to throw by the wayside years ago.<p>

So it wasn't a dream, or at least not by human standards. As far as Lucas understood the concept, he wasn't asleep, he was just... elsewhere. It would happen some nights; he would close his eyes and wake up here.

Wherever here was.

He never was quite sure. Occasionally he got the urge to look around, to find out where he was, but that urge was easily quashed. Whenever he had tried it, his eyes had slid away of their own accord, refusing to obey his commands- it was as if his surroundings were too painful to look at. The scenery was twisted and tangled... wrong somehow, so wrong that his own body refused to observed them in order to protect itself. So no matter how much he tried to look away, his gaze was always drawn to the figure in front of him.

It was not particularly impressive as far as cowled figures go. Tall yes, but not impressive, not until you found out what it was capable of. It was man sized, but wore a dark grey cloak so faded and shapeless that nearly anyone- or anything- could be inside it.

_The plan proceeds._

Lucas grimaced. Very, very few things were still capable of scaring him, but he detested his master's voice. It seemed to reverberate inside his skull without passing through his ears on the way past, as if the words were shards of glass being jammed into his consciousness.

Lucas didn't reply, as it hadn't been a question. If the plan was not proceeding, than Lucas would have failed. If Lucas had failed, he would be dead. Worse than dead.

_Cynthia?_

"Edgy but manageable."

_Paul?_

"Fine."

_You sound uncertain._

"It isn't anything I can't handle."

Lucas' master nodded after the briefest of pauses. Lucas allowed himself a moment of relief, but it turned out to be premature.

_Candice._

The tone was not accusing. It was curious, which was worse. Accusations could kill you rather abruptly, but curiosity could keep you alive for days- days in which you'd have nothing better to do than scream for a quicker death.

"Yes. I made use of her. We... may have a problem."

_There are no problems. There are merely obstacles. These are dealt with... if one can find a sufficiently competent subordinate._

"I'm dealing with it! Just give me another day and I'll get rid of the problem for good."

_Why wait?_

"Because this problem is... delicate. I may have found another aura user."

_Usable?_

"As one of us? No. He's too bloody minded- I'd have to break him beyond the point of usefulness. But he might be useful as a distraction if I can push him far enough. I have a plan in motion- one that will make him suffer."

_Good... but do not lose sight of our goal._

"I won't master. Soon we'll be ready and then-"

_I know. Now be gone from my sight._

Lucas bowed hastily, and then flickered out as his master released him to his own devices. The grey figure did not leave, however.

_I take it you were listening._

One by one, other figures flickered into visibility. One would be hard put to describe them- they slipped in and out of the visual range, never settling on one shape. Physical form was unnecessary at any rate- it impeded communication.

_He was nervous. Is he up to the task?_ One of them asked. The grey figure turned.

_You would impugn my servants?_

_Humans are unreliable tools. They break too easily._

_We will succeed. Here or elsewhere._

_The guardians- _

_Are dead and gone. There are no true guardians left, just children and doddering old men. They will not be a problem._

The other figure's seemed unsure, but the first ignored them.

_This is not the old days. There is neither blood nor fire in men any longer; just money and more money. The world has grown too complacent to resist us._

The others continued to demur.

_Berlitz. Wataru. Shirona. Oak. These are old names. Dangerous names. And how many others are still left? The Suzunas, the Hibikis, the Tsuwabuki clan... We may find that the world has more strength than we're ready for._

_No. The plan proceeds._

_But-_

_I have spoken._

The grey figure raised what, for lack of a better term, must be called its voice, and addressed the others as a group.

_This world will burn. This I guarantee. And it will be us who pick up the ashes._

They nodded to one another and disappeared. There was nothing left to say.

* * *

><p>I had always felt safer in darkness.<p>

Trust me, that wasn't saying much. Through most of my life, I'd been to the world what a squirrel is to the forest- wary at best, terrified at worst, and utterly psychotic when cornered. Still, there was something comforting about shadows. True, they tend to hide danger, but then again doesn't the light do the same? You're everyday monsters- the rapist, the murderer, the politician- walk in the light as easily as the dark; scrutiny holds no terror for those who embrace their own evil. But in the shadows one can hide and wait for danger to pass by, one can curl up secure in the knowledge that they are invisible to the world. When I first came to the orphanage I would do just that- Michael was always pulling me out of closets or up from the basement. Other kids would do the same occasionally as hiding from an authority figure is fairly common in children, but Michael had always maintained that there was something weird about me. It was the way I could disappear into shadows when I was afraid, the way other peoples' eyes tended to slide off me when I didn't want to be found.

But not all shadows are places of safety. I'd learned long ago that there were different types of darkness; types that would conceal and welcome me and types that would just reveal me to the horrors that dwelt within them. Baal's caverns had been of the latter; I had found no comfort there.

This place was one of the former.

"_I'm dreaming."_ I thought blearily. _"I must be."_

This place certainly didn't seem like it could exist in anything but a dream, however it lacked that sense of unreality I had come to associate with my dreaming state. This place felt real, it was just impossible.

I was floating in darkness.

Yes, yes, not particularly impressive, but... I can't really describe it with any detail. This darkness was alive somehow, constantly shifting and swirling. That was the other thing, there was no light but I'd swear that the blackness which engulfed everything was coloured. It was as if there were different shades of black, all mixing and separating until the overall effect became so dizzying that my mind gave up trying to understand it and just labelled it 'black' and moved on. I didn't appear to be laying on anything solid, but neither was I falling. Similarly I could move around but did not seem to have anything to push against, meaning this had to be a dream. Still...

"It feels so... lucid." I mumbled, unable to believe it. Most dreams play hell with our emotions, sharpening and manipulating them to the point where we felt at the mercy of our own subconscious. For this dream, I felt entirely normal- If the scenery hadn't been what it was, I would have sworn I was back on my bed.

_(You are.)_

Ah. Cue the ominous voice. That was more like it.

"Uh... hello?"

_(Hi.)_

And that seemed to be it. For a disembodied voice emanating from an endless abyss, it didn't seem to be putting much effort into things.

_(Apologies. I had forgotten what theatrical creatures humans are- you need a show to understand.)_

The darkness directly in front of me began to curdle into solid form. It twisted and contorted, passing through a variety of dimensions before deciding that three was probably safest. Then it began to take shape, forming into an enormous humanoid shade. The... thing... possessed a head, torso and shoulders, but its legs were nothing but a few fluttering scraps of shadow. A long mane of hair, blindingly white in the dark, fell from its head, and its eyes glowed a malevolent green.

"So I'm still in my bed, am I?" I asked weakly.

_(Correct. Your consciousness has merely migrated to a different plane of existence so that I may speak with you.)_

"Did it bring my bladder with it?"

The thing laughed, which was a relief. Anything with a sense of humour is sentient, and anything sentient can be bought, confused, or at worst run away from.

_(I am not so terrifying Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Do not be afraid. I believe introductions are the human custom?)_

"Well, you already seem to know me, but... hey, I'm Ash. From Pallet." I told it, giving a half-hearted wave. The thing reached out one enormous claw, touching it to the palm of my hand.

_(I am Darkrai, prince of the void and master of unseen things. I have watched stars die and death live; I have seen both ends of time. I live within the depths of eternity and in the last breaths of dying men.)_

"That's... interesting..." I told it, wondering if it would be possible to quietly edge away while trapped in an abyss.

_(I guess. Eternity is nice enough, but the rent is killing me.)_

I smiled. "The lord of Darkness makes lame jokes now? Isn't hell punishment enough?"

_(I am not death and you are not dead. I am, in fact, a pokemon.)_

"You know, somehow I don't think my balls are going to be sufficient."

Darkrai cocks his head to the side and again utters that booming silence he uses for a laugh.

_(Please pardon my merriment at your terror. I do not receive visitors often.)_

"Well, I can't say much for the locale. Why am I here?"

_(We have the same enemies Ash Ketchum of Pallet. Most legendaries do not interfere directly with the affairs of men, but some of us have decided that things cannot remain as they are.)_

"I'm sorry? You are going to help me fight the Grey Ones?"

_(Why not? I like men. Before they came I was extant but formless. Now I am feared, admired, romanticized... They are stuck in their petty squabbles, but they are not so wrong as to deserve what is about to happen to them.)_

"What is about to happen?"

_(I am sorry. I cannot describe a ten dimensional idea in the three you have to work with. Suffice it to say that your enemies must be stopped- the world hangs in the balance.)_

"Lovely... um, so you'll be helping out... how, exactly?"

_(By keening the edge of the world's most unpredictable weapon.)_

"You've lost me..."

_(I am going to teach you how to wield the strength of your enemies.)_

It takes a moment for me to process this, but when I do my jaw drops.

"You're going to _train _me?"

_(Yes.)_

"A legendary pokemon?"

_(Yes. I can do no more, not without alerting Arceus.)_

"Arceus is real?"

_(Of course. He has long withdrawn from the world, however; he grew tired of men and their wars. I represent a small group of legendaries who could not stand by while you are left to die, and we decided that one of us would have to help you.)_

"No offense, but why you? Aren't there other legendaries that are less... uh, bowel-rendingly frightening?"

_(I was selected because my powers resonate with the darkness of your soul.)_

"Oh. Wow. Really?"

_(No. I won the rock-papers-scissors against Lugia and Ho-Oh.)_

"What!"

_(It wasn't that difficult. I'm the only one of us with hands.)_

"Darkrai, you're killing me here."

_(No Ash Ketchum of Pallet, I assure you that if I were killing you there would be no doubt about the matter. Now shall we begin? Good. While there are many 'dark' type pokemon in your world, our strength is not drawn from low light level itself, per-se, but is rather a reflection of a universal opposite endemic to the fabric of reality...)_

Darkrai droned on and on, but as I made the attempt to listen his words were overtaken by their own meaning. Instead of listening I began to see what he meant, and then I could feel it- entire vista's of knowledge that had escaped me until this point.

One could argue that I'd spent my entire life in darkness of one form or another, but for the first time I opened my eyes to it.

I saw.

* * *

><p>I saw Brock's concerned face hovering about a foot away from mine as I opened my eyes. Brock, for all his good points, is not something you want to see so close to you immediately upon awakening.<p>

"He's awake." He called to someone I couldn't see. "You okay?" He asked me. I glared at him blearily.

"That depends. What did we do last night?"

Brock laughed. "He's awake and he's being an asshole!"

"Good." Said Gary, making his presence known. "That means he's in a good mood."

I pushed Brock aside and sat up, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. "What are you two doing here?"

"Waking you up. You were making weird noises in your sleep again."

"I don't want to be lectured on that by you Brock."

"Hey, I already have dibs on dream-Joy, okay?"

"I wasn't- never mind. What time is it?"

"Seven-ish. You've got a battle today too, so you'd better get up and eat."

I grumbled but complied, getting out of bed and getting dressed. Gary and Brock wait patiently while I strap various instruments of death to myself, and the three of us head out together to breakfast. As we approach a table towards the back I spot Misty and Zoey chatting cheerfully, while an enormous plate of food with a bandanna peeking over the top indicates that May has joined them. Gary, Brock and I sit down, making sure to greet Misty and Zoey and keep well clear of May. She was normally the sweetest of girls, but I'd nearly lost a finger trying to steal her muffin once and after that we gave her plenty of space at breakfast. Misty, in what I'm sure has to be a clear abuse of her position as a girlfriend, has already gotten my food for me.

"What is this?" I asked, poking the bowl of brown gunk with my fork. I manage to indent it slightly, but it rebounds with a rubbery 'glop' noise.

"It's Musli!" She said cheerfully. "Full of essential vitamins and minerals."

"Essential as in 'needed for proper metabolism', or essential as in, 'eat it or sleep on the couch'?"

"You sleep in separate rooms Ash." Gary reminds me, as if such a puling detail would stop Misty when she's angry. She'd move into my room just to make me sleep on the couch.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to." Misty told me a tad coldly. I nodded miserably and dug into the horrid stuff. I had been afraid that I wouldn't be any good at romance, but it turned out to be remarkably simple- it boiled down to doing whatever Misty and May said and still feeling vaguely guilty for some reason. Still, my grudgingly given compliance seemed to make Misty happy, which made it nearly worth it... until her next sentence anyway.

"Besides, you won't have to eat it when we get back home- I can make you something myself."

It was a good thing that I'd given May some room earlier, because it meant she wasn't directly across from me. If she had been then she would have taken some Musli to the face as I spat it out in horror, and given the consistency of the stuff she would probably have suffocated. As it is the half chewed food smacks into the nearest wall where it stuck.

"You? Cook?" Gary asked while I was still coughing. He looked nearly as afraid as I did, and for good reason. Home Ec was not a class that was really encouraged back at the academy, as we were far more battle focused. Still it was offered as an elective, and both Gary and I had seen what Misty could do when unleashed upon an unsuspecting kitchen.

"Why not?" She asked, genuinely surprised. Misty's lack of culinary talent was matched only by her faith in said nonexistent talent, a faith that I had helped propagate by being the only man ever to stay upright after eating the famous 'Waterflower Surprise'. The surprise turned out to be that I lived to tell the tale, but Misty had managed to confuse the fact that her food hadn't actually killed me with the fact that I enjoyed it.

"Because Ash has enough people trying to murder him-"

"Don't be like that Gary." I said woodenly, but then brightened up. "Still Mist, I can't expect a strong young woman like you to cook for her boyfriend- it would be demeaning!" I said, desperately appealing to her sense of gender equality. She just laughed it off.

"Oh, it's fine Ash. I more think of it as assisting the helpless- without me, you'd probably just eat junk."

Damn. There goes my out. Still, maybe I can turn this around...

"May?" I asked, turning to her, "You like food... can you cook at all?"

She nods excitedly. "Oh, definitely! I make wholesome, filling dishes- Daddy said that after eating one of my desserts, he couldn't eat another bite for days!"

I groaned, and Gary and Zoey snickered at me. Brock just patted me on the back, whispering into my ear that a little grated Pecha berry in my food would take care of almost any poison.

"Anyway," I grated, changing topics "what's in store for us today?"

"Another two on two." Gary answered. "Since we've moved into elimination rounds there's no more pokemon from here on in, just human against human."

That was something anyway. It would be lonely to go onto the field with no one but the princess to rely on, but I can't help be grateful that my creature's are out of it. Feebas, although conscious, was still convalescent and I did not ever want to see another member of my team hurt that badly again.

"How much more of this do we have to put up with? There can't be that many people left."

"I dunno." Brock muttered thoughtfully. "Bruno's class was pretty full yesterday."

Gary shook his head. "But not everybody attending is still in. I talked with a few of them, and most had already been eliminated. They just wanted to train with elites, and the elites don't seem to mind."

"So how many rounds left?"

"Two more for the elimination rounds; this match today and another two on two later in the week. After that we're into the final eight."

"Mew." I whistled. "Only thirty-two of us left?"

"Yeah." Gary replied darkly "And we know a third of them. The odds of all of us passing are... not high."

May dismissed this with a wave. "Oh, don't be a downer. There's the six of us, plus Leona and Dawn- that's eight, right? We can all get to finals!"

Gary and I exchange a glance, wondering if May knows how unlikely that scenario is. Or, more importantly, how likely it is that she'll be fighting someone she knows. The six of us had done well to get this far, but that luck could not continue. The smaller the pool of combatants got, the more likely it was that friend would turn into foe... and the more likely that I'd have to end up hitting someone I'd rather laugh with.

"Gary, is the next round-"

He nods. "Anonymous. Just like the last one. The last two on two is announced, but for today we're fighting blind."

I frowned. Only thirty-two of us left and we didn't know who we were fighting... I pushed aside my cereal. I hadn't had any appetite to lose really, but I didn't even feel like toying with the stuff anymore.

"Do you think-" I whispered to Gary, who cut off my question.

"Just fight." He whispered back. "If it's someone you know, fight. That's all you can do."

I shrugged, unhappy but accepting. He's right, all I can do is my best. That doesn't stop me from worrying though, and as the others and I walk down to the stadium, I stay moodily silent while the others discuss the battles to come. They were comparing timetables, which seemed pointless- the times we were called down to the holding area were staggered precisely so that we couldn't work out who we were fighting in advance. You could be waiting down there for ten minutes or two hours. Still, there was some good news- Misty and May's time was significantly later than any of ours, so I almost certainly wouldn't be fighting them. Gary and Brock's time was first, followed closely by Zoey and Leona's. Dawn and I were a few hours later- roughly midday- and Misty and May had a night time spot. The girls are glad of this, because it means that in between Zoey's fight and mine, they had time for- you guessed it- shopping. I did the honorable boyfriend thing and offered to come with, but Misty, in a rare display of mercy, tells me that need to focus on my own fight and that Gary will be sufficient to carry their things. Gary balks at this, until Zoey convinces him with a wiggle of her hips and a few choice comments. Finally Gary mutters his assent, the girls share a gleeful high-five, and I give Gary the grin of the spared man to the condemned.

The six of us arrived at the stadium and head for the stands in order to get decent seats. The seating areas are packed now, far fuller than when the first battles went down. I suppose that as finals draw nearer more people are arriving to watch, and word must have gotten around that the level of combat was getting higher, because the people in the stands seem far more excited than they had previously. Brock and Gary, after receiving a hug and a kiss from Zoey respectively, excuse themselves to head down to the holding area. The four of us wait nervously, with May, Misty and I doing our best to calm Zoey down. The girl was stolid and dependable- a true warrior of Sinnoh- but as she and Gary had drawn closer, she'd had gotten worse and worse at relaxing while he fought, as had he when she fought. It was cute as hell, and it might have even been funny if I hadn't been guilty of doing exactly the same when May and Misty fought. I thanked Arceus they were on the same team- I wasn't sure I could have taken it if I'd had to watch two fights with my heart in my mouth instead of just one.

Zoey, unresponsive to our attempts to relax her and unwilling to admit how badly scared for Gary she was, gets twitchier and twitchier until finally it's her turn to head down. That worried me- Gary hadn't fought yet, and I thought for a second he and Zoey would fight each other- but the second Zoey disappears, Gary and Brock appear on the field along with their opponents. I needn't have worried- their enemies are two jokers from Sinnoh. Nowhere near Dawn or Candice's level, these two are easily dispatched, and Gary and Brock leave the field without so much as a scratch. As soon as their off, Leona and Zoey come charging in to face their opponents- again, two people I don't know, one from Johto and the other from Hoenn. The boy from Hoenn is dispatched quickly (despite May's cheering for her fellow countryman, which is bellowed directly into my left ear), but the girl from Johto was a tough bitch. She leads Zoey and Leona on one hell of a chase, using her grass based Ki to trip, poison and stun them at every turn. Eventually Zoey has had enough dicking around, and the next time the girl makes the mistake of getting caught in the open Zoey blasts her with a huge gout of blue energy, freezing her in place.

"Damn." I whistled, impressed. "That was better than Candice."

"They grew up in the same place." Gary said as he slumped with relief.

"Did they know each other?" I asked sharply. If Zoey had info on Candice, I could find out exactly how likely it was that the girl's transformation had been induced. Unfortunately, Gary just shook his head.

"By reputation only. Apparently the Suzuna clan didn't like admitting that there was another ice user on par with their heir- they isolated themselves from the common folk."

I grunted, disappointed, but at that moment Zoey had returned to us and Gary's attention wasn't on me anyway. I leave the two of them to the sexual tension tango, and instead turn my attention to my own girls. They had been excited at the prospect of shopping earlier, but now that it's actually come down to it, they seem nervous to leave me alone.

"If you want us to stay..." May offered, looking worried. I shrugged her and Misty off, shooing them towards the exit.

"Go! Go have some fun. You two don't need to hang around here getting worried. Besides, I should go talk strategy with Dawn, and I know she gets you upset."

Misty grunts in assent. "What's her problem, anyway? She seemed fine two nights ago, and then yesterday she was a total bitch again."

"You're the one who told me that mood swings are a woman's prerogative."

"Only when it's me. Or May." She added graciously. I opened my mouth to protest her logic, but snapped it shut when she added: "Being right is also a woman's prerogative, Ash. Don't test me."

I mumbled something incoherent to that, and Misty just smiles and hugs me. May follows suit, and the two of them promise to be safe and to be back in time for my fight. The two of them then run off, eagerly discussing the shopping and speculating on approximately how much Gary can carry before his bones fuse together. He and Zoey, arm in arm, follow them out. It's just Brock and I left now, and although he's trying to do the good thing by sticking with me, I tell him he may as well go.

"Are you sure?"

I nod. "You might as well. I'm sure there are girls at the mall."

"There are girls here."

"The ones at the mall are a tad less likely to chop select bits of you off when they reject you."

Brock enters that dreamy state I've come to associate with him. "But if I get wounded there'll be Joys..."

I coughed politely. "Perhaps I did not go into sufficient detail when I said 'select bits'. Let's just say that your ability to appreciate the Joys would be removed permanently."

That got him going soon enough. With my friends gone I figured I was now safe to confront Dawn and see what in the hell was up with her mood. Both Riolu and Misty had mentioned she'd seemed odd, and I was hoping to get her alone- she'd be far more likely to give a proper explanation if she felt she didn't need her princess act. Unfortunately my hopes for getting her alone were dashed the second I got near her box. I was vaguely aware that Dawn was royalty, but I guess the fact hadn't really permeated- I'd been lucky enough earlier to see her with a small core of her bodyguards, and assumed they were like my friends and I. I was not, therefore, aware of the level of security surrounding the princess until it was brought to my attention by a pair of large, unsympathetic men.

"I'm uh... here to see Dawn..." I said, staring down a pair of drawn swords. The bodyguards, who wear a uniform similar to but less ornamented than Lucas', glare at me.

"Princess Dawn." One of them growls. I shrugged off the correction, which seemed to infuriate them further.

"Lucas doesn't like you." Spat the one who hadn't spoken yet.

"Lucas can shove it."

They reeled back, angrier than ever. "What?"

I pulled my knife from out of its sheath. "If he doesn't have anything to shove, I can lend him-"

"What is going on here?"

The voice is haughty and imperial, and it's therefore something of a shock when I realize it's coming from Cynthia. She's still wearing her street clothes, but I begin to see something of the Sinnoh Champion in her as she takes her grunts to task.

"There's this suspicious-" One of them begins, waiving at me. Cynthia ignores them, instead huffing at me.

"I should have known it was you. Come on then Ash, she's over here."

I pass the stunned guards, making a whipping noise under my breath as I pass.

"Shit disturber." Cynthia whispered at me. She sounded annoyed, but here features had just a hint of a smile about them.

"You know it lady." I whispered back. "How is her majesty?" I asked in a louder tone, managing to keep most of the sarcasm out of my voice.

"Upset."

"How so?"

"I think Paul's been at her again. She looks... scared."

I nodded, thinking. "Will she be okay?"

"Arceus knows. This thing with Candice hit her hard."

"I didn't think they were that close."

"They used to be, just like her and Leona. But Dawn got selfish and Candice went boy crazy, so..." Cynthia shrugged. "Still, Dawn went with me yesterday to watch over her. She's been acting kinder lately- I guess you're to thank for that."

I shrugged noncommittally. "She isn't so bad, you know. She's just fucked up- beyond fucked up."

"I know. I'm just amazed you've been able to make a difference- I'd all but given up."

I twitched uncomfortably at the words, trying not to dwell on the suspicions I'd voiced to Lance yesterday. Cynthia did seem at a loss to help Dawn, despite making every effort to have done so, whereas I had been able to see through her in a few days. Maybe that was because Cynthia was too close to Dawn to see the problem, or maybe-

"_Bah. Enough doubting people. Just follow Lance's advice- watch your own back, try to stay alive."_

While that was good advice, it still left something to be desired. I'm prevented from dwelling on it though, as at that moment Cynthia and I arrive at the box reserved for Sinnoh royalty. I could try and give you a description in which words like 'plush', 'lavish' and 'hedonistic' would have figured largely, but in the end this place is so different from the cold rooms of barren concrete I had grown up in that I'm not sure my vocabulary would be up to task. Looking at this place, I'm amazed at how well Dawn had actually fared when I took her to the lake for training- she couldn't have been used to that level of discomfort.

As I walk past the rows, various Sinnoh aristocrats glare at my shabby clothing in distaste. That might have been embarrassing, but both Lance and Riley had been proletarian to the bone, and had taught me never to bow to wealth.

"_People are all the same Ash, whether they wipe their asses with silk or sandpaper. Never lower your head to a dollar sign."_

I glare right back at the aristocrats, and then turn from them, heading for the princess. Judging by the cut of their clothes and the amount of jewellery these people wear, it isn't hard to see that they've been seated by proximity to the princess in order of how rich and powerful they are. I therefore take great joy in plopping down right next to her- in what is probably usually Candice's seat, as a matter of fact- and giving her a huge, sloppy grin.

"How's it hanging, Dawn?"

The effect was as immediate as it was hilarious. All around me the noble aristocrats of Sinnoh began whispering, outraged that such a lowlife would dare to speak with their glorious princess... blah, blah, blah. My grin just widened. I dealt with the miniature version of this same situation every time I'd spoken to Gary or Misty back at the academy, and had no doubt that the courtiers outrage was due more to an upset in their carefully crafted chain of social prestige than it was a protective impulse towards their princess. Dawn gaped at me, evidently not anticipating my arrival. Leona, to my immediate left, began to snicker. Lucas, on the other side of the princess, allowed his lips to tighten disdainfully, but otherwise refrained from commenting. Paul, to Lucas' right, just stared into space with the vacant look of hatred that seemed to be his default expression.

"Good morning Mr. Ketchum." Dawn said eventually, far more weakly and politely than I was used to. The politeness I could put down to being in the middle of her nobles, but the meek tone with which she uttered the words and the way her gaze kept sliding off of mine I couldn't place. Riolu had been right, something was wrong with her. "Have you met our entourage?"

I looked around me with a grin, making sure to give each and every disgruntled noble my most winning smile. The combined hatred back my way could have melted steel, but it was high-class hatred and therefore passive and genteel. I turned back to Dawn.

"Why does one court need so many jesters?" I asked, feigning obliviousness. Leona began to make choking sounds next to me, and even Dawn put on the blank mask of one trying very hard not to smile. One by one she introduced me to barons and baronesses, dukes and counts, viziers and viceroys. As I gave each one a scant, hasty greeting I began to realize why Dawn tried very hard not to turn her back on anyone when Cynthia wasn't there. I grew up in an orphanage where the best way to succeed was to hit other people until they stopped trying to take your stuff, but the greed and backstabbing I'd encountered there couldn't hold a candle to these people. I'm fairly sure I was guilty of at least three deadly sins just by shaking hands with them.

Eventually the introductions ceased, and I tried very hard to suppress the urge to wipe my hand on my shirt. While I was willing to risk a certain level of insouciance, I didn't want to start another bloody war, so I merely sit down and begin to chat with Dawn and Leona. That's a bit difficult, as Dawn seems to be doing her level best to avoid or ignore me and Leona doesn't want to submit to any situation that could force her to be friendly to Dawn. I ignore their evident reservations, and talked with them about any topic I could bring to mind- Brock's latest failed pick up line (it turns out that the Officer Jenny involved was willing to hold it against him, and had a restraining order to prove it), Gary's numerous and (surprisingly) unsuccessful attempts to get Zoey to sleep with him, that sort of thing. The girls, slowly but surely, began to warm up to the conversation.

"Dressed entirely in Saran wrap?" Leona gasped, giggling.

"I think there was oil involved too. Let it never be said that he isn't willing to follow his own advice."

She smiled at me, cocking her head to the side. "You talk about your friends a lot, don't you?"

I shrugged. "They're important to me."

At that Dawn stiffened, and I turned to her.

"Fine." She told me, trying to muster some coldness in her tone and failing miserably. "Just-"

Lucas stood up, cutting her off. Turning to Dawn, he bowed.

"Paul and I must leave to fight now, your majesty." His eyes settled on Pikachu at my shoulder, but it was obvious that his next comment was directed at me. "Do try not to contract anything- I hear that vermin carry disease."

There was some laughter from the assembled courtiers, and I nodded, allowing the shot. Still, I couldn't let it go unanswered...

"Don't worry, she's safe. I always use protection."

Now that shut everyone up pretty quickly. Lucas spun on his heels and left, refusing to comment. Paul followed close behind, and Leona, eyes bulging, turned to me.

"You two aren't actually-"

"No." I told her. "I'm already taken. But it got a nice reaction, right?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "You know, I used to wonder why Kanto hasn't been broken yet. I don't anymore. Do you people have any regard for your own lives?"

I shrugged. "I guess in Kanto things are just more black and white. Fight the enemy, protect your friends, watch your back. Sinnoh's fallen to the gray."

Now that last sentence got a nice reaction too. Several of the aristocrats had looked away the second I'd said it, and it seemed like I wasn't the only one to notice- Cynthia was in the back of the box, watching everyone like a hawk. Leona doesn't really react much though, and I frown internally. Cross one more suspect off the list.

I turned to Dawn, hoping to explore a more promising source of information. Before I can ask her exactly why she's acting so oddly, however, Paul and Lucas march onto the field. I snap my mouth shut, looking forward to getting my first glimpse of the two of them in action.

I watched the entire fight, beginning to end... and learn nothing. Not a single goddamned thing that I didn't already know. Their opponents were good but it didn't seem to help them; Paul and Lucas had split up, taking them on one on one. Lucas had danced around his opponent, using quick strikes with the rapier to keep him at bay. Paul hadn't bothered with the theatrics. He'd taken some early blows, waited until his opponent moved in, and then pummeled him. He had then moved over to where Lucas was, quickly and purposefully, and pummeled Lucas' opponent too. I'd thought for a second that their opponents might be dead- Paul had used nothing but his bare fists, and yet they were beaten so badly that death was not inconceivable. They're still twitching though, so Lucas- after publicly remonstrating with an apathetic Paul- gently carried them off of the battle field. All I'd learned were things I'd already guessed- Paul was a bastard and Lucas was a good actor.

The two of them returned to the box but quickly made their excuses, bowing to the princess and exiting.

"Where are they headed?"

Leona snorted. "Officially? Probably back to the compound to do sentry duty and maybe take an inventory. Unofficially? Lucas is getting Paul out of here before he does something stupid."

"I thought you liked Paul."

She twitched uncomfortably. "I don't think he's as bad as everyone says, but he gets... edgy after fighting. It's best to take him somewhere quiet for a while."

I nodded, filing that away for later. It was then that Dawn stood, and I glanced at her.

"We believe it is time for us to depart." Dawn said, making use of the royal pronoun. I shrugged and made to follow her, managing to dodge all the obsequious well-wishers who had surrounded the princess. Grabbing her arm I dragged her out of there.

"Mew." I muttered. "They're worse than gulls."

Dawn didn't answer, instead slipping out of my grasp and walking ahead. I walked faster, pulling even with her.

"You're avoiding me again princess. I thought we'd been through this."

"Leave me alone please." She pleaded.

"What? Why?"

"It's better in the long run."

She accelerated again, practically running down the hall. I ran after her, catching her up just as the two of us reached the holding area.

"Easy!" Complained the official sent to receive us. "There's enough death for the both of you."

I sent him a glare which he ignored. He pushed his glasses up his nose, peering at the clipboard in front of him.

"Ash Ketchum and Dawn Berlitz?" He asked eventually. We nodded.

"Good. Two on two, no pokemon, Ki and weapons allowed. Got it?"

We nodded again and he left. The second the door was shut I laid into Dawn, asking her why she was being so weird. She refused to answer, insisting that we should focus on the battle ahead. I assented wearily, discussing potential strategies with her. We actually had a fairly decent stratagem, which went out the window the second the gate dropped and she ran out, heedless of our plan.

"Damn it princess!" I yelled after her, running to keep up. The rocky desert that held our last fight was gone, replaced with what looked like grassland abutting onto a forest. Throughout the day almost all the fights had taken place in the grass, as the forest was too dense to do much in. It was for there that Dawn was headed, and it was for there that I ran, cursing the situation I had really hoped to not have to deal with a second time. Luckily for me, our opponents this time had apparently also failed to guess that Dawn would pull the same stunt twice, because they had split up and gone after us one on one. The first I knew I was being targeted was when I felt a cold wind at my neck. I dived, avoiding whatever it was that had tried to kill me, and rolled upright, hand on sword. In front of me stood a shaggy looking blonde man, grinning evilly.

"You're still alive! Maybe you'll actually keep me entertained? The other rounds have been so boring."

I ignore him, keeping my sword up and watching for a hint of movement. He swaggers forwards, still smiling.

"But I think that little blue haired tart with you can keep me even better entertained. So be a good boy and die quickly, would you?"

He takes a step forwards, and with a flick of his wrist a violent purple wave of energy is launched towards me, tearing up clods of soil. I dodge sideways, and then rush forwards, drawing the sword. He comes to meet me, attempting to slash at me with the same purple energy. He's slow though- he can't be too used to close quarters combat. I spin past his blow easily, swinging my blade down on his leg. The blow should have landed a nasty cut on his calf, slowing him down and possibly taking him out of the match. Instead his outline goes fuzzy around the edges, and my blade passes straight through him.

"_What the-"_

_Ghost type Ki! Back off now!_

I listened to Kaelus, launching myself backwards as the guy swings around to deliver a pulse of energy to where I'd been. His blow hits the ground, but instead of the small explosion I'd expected, the ball of energy merely caused the grass around where it had hit to die instantly. I backed off a little further as the man smirked at me.

"What's your name?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Ash." I grunted, not taking my eyes off of him. He met my gaze and smiled, as a sudden burst of exhaustion overtook me.

"I'm Morty." He said. "It's been nice knowing you, Ash-"

I wrenched my eyes from his, and then lurched sideways, avoiding yet another strike. Morty looked put out that his plan had failed, but grinned again as he saw how hard it was for me to raise my sword. I was so tired...

"_What is this?"_

_Hypnosis. Focus my host! This technique can't affect you, not if you don't want it to. Muster your mental defenses!_

I grunted, forcing myself to focus. Morty's smirk morphed into a frown as I shrugged off the hypnosis, and he gritted his teeth and tried a different method. Suddenly the world began to spin, the crowd's cheers became louder, painfully so-

_Steel yourself! Confusion is the same- it can be resisted by a sufficiently strong mind!_

Slowly the noise of the crowd recedes, and the world began to stabilize. Morty backed away, unsure of what to do now that his favourite tricks had failed. I staggered forwards, still somewhat disoriented. Taking advantage of this, Morty gathered his Ki and rushed me again. I block the strike, reel sideways, and punch him as hard as I can, pumping electric aura into his side. Again he goes intransigent, but it doesn't work quite as well this time- his ghostly form may be great at shrugging off physical blows, but aura at least seems to damage it. Still, it's like punching smoke- I hit him, but he just rolls with the blow and escapes.

"_Damn it! I need a better grip on him."_

_Impossible. He's a ghost user, you're an electric user. Just keep hitting him until he's too tired to fade out._

I might have just tried that, if it hadn't been for Dawn.

Unbeknownst to me, the fight with Morty had taken me slowly towards the princess. I heard her scream but ignored it, figuring that it was just an expletive launched at her opponent. It wasn't until the crowd rose and began yelling in excitement that I risked taking my eyes off Morty to sneak a glance.

Dawn was down.

She lay on the ground, clutching one of her legs- I could see the blood from here. Her opponent, a massive, armoured figure, stands over her, drawing back his sword. I couldn't be sure that it was a killing blow as my vantage point was not the best, but it sure as hell looked like one from here. I needed to get over there and I needed to do it fast, the only problem being there wasn't a chance in hell I could make it.

Oh, that and Morty had taken advantage of the distraction to rush me.

_Move!_

"_No, I need him. Wanna see a trick, Kaelus?"_

I may not be the brightest Ampharos in the lighthouse, but even I knew my basic typings. Dark beats ghost.

"_Come on Darkrai, don't fail me now."_

Kaelus couldn't help me with this. In fact he'd never even mentioned the lesson I'd received from the legendary, and I was almost certain he didn't know about it. That meant I was on my own as I began to focus...

"_Okay, reflection of a universal opposite that... something something something, fabric of reality... fuck it, let's just hit him!"_

A dark miasma sprung up around my fingers, covering my hands. I'm moderately surprised by how easy it was to call up- when I first used electric aura it felt like my arm was on fire, but Dark aura is almost soothing somehow. Instead of the hateful depression I was expecting it to cause in me I just feel slightly wistful, as if the aura were like an old friend I'd forgotten about.

Morty- and Kaelus, for that matter- are shocked as I deflect the blow aimed at me with Dark aura. Morty tries to escape again but I get behind him, grabbing him by the mullet. He attempts to fade but I pump darkness into him, freezing him and forcing him to stay solid.

Gripping the mullet I turn in Dawn's direction. Her opponent has begun the strike, and I have no time to get there.

Time for plan B.

* * *

><p>Kaelus was a realist. It was something of a necessity when almost no one believed you existed.<p>

He simply could not afford to waste time claiming that things were impossible, unlikely or unfair. What happened happened, and it did no good to complain about it. One simply had to deal as best one could with the current reality rather than sitting around gaping at the unfairness of it all. He had long ago come to the conclusion that who dares wins, and if one could dare faster and better than ones fellows then that was just the way it went.

Even so, the boy had managed to throw him for a loop.

It was impossible! For months, Kaelus had tiptoed around Dark aura- leading the boy on and then carefully edging him back, ensuring that he never did more than he could take. It was, of course, a tantalizing substance- the boy could never use his true strength without it- but it was dangerous for humans. The mental effects of Dark Aura tended to be disastrous in the long term, and even Dark Ki users had to be careful. They were normally trained for years on end to handle the stuff carefully- Ki and Aura were always dangerous, but the darkness had a will of its own. It had driven better men than Ash mad, and yet the boy- seemingly of his own accord- had called to it. And it answered! The aura had come to Ash like a dog to its master.

Enervating.

Strength was strength, and Kaelus liked strength. It would help keep Ash alive. But Ash was his. _His! _He should be the one to grant and remove power from the boy as he willed. He had shaped Ash from birth, he had made sure the boy had grown up the proper way, with steel in his nerves and spite in his heart. And then Riley had come along to open the world of aura to the boy. That was bad enough, but now this?

Kaelus forced himself to relax. Control, that was the key- he still had control of Ash, and he would have to maintain it. The boy was growing, and if Kaelus played his cards wrongly then Ash might just grow to the point where he felt he no longer needed Kaelus. That would be disastrous, and could not- would not- be allowed to happen. The boy was his.

His. Forever and always.

Kaelus relaxed, as outside the boy grabbed his enemy by the hair and turned to face Hikari. He always enjoyed it when Ash's anger and spontaneity got the better of him, and he grinned.

_I love plan B._

* * *

><p>Dawn was not having a good day.<p>

Lucas had made it very clear this morning exactly what he would do if she tipped Ash off in any way with regards to the planned attack. Dawn had listened to it all in a stupor, nodding vaguely in the correct spots. She hadn't really been afraid of Lucas' threats of pain- considering how dirty she felt, she wondered if she deserved the hurt he promised to visit on her person- but she knew what would happen to Ash if she told, and that was enough for her to hold her tongue. He was such a strange boy- so angry and so calm, so pure and so jaded. On the surface he was nothing more than what she'd labelled him as: a belligerent, incompetent Kanto nobody. Underneath he was so complicated it confused her, and so honorable it frightened her. He would never, ever condone her current course of action, but it would keep him alive for just a little longer. For that it was worth it.

Then there had been this fight. It was bad enough that she had to lie to Ash, being forced to be close to him while doing it was unpleasant. She'd brushed him off as coldly as she could, but the boy was like a Growlithe with a stick- he refused to let anything drop. He'd realized something was amiss, and kept badgering her until she'd nearly let it slip. Then the gate had dropped and the fight was on, and she thought she was saved.

She'd been wrong.

Her opponent the knight had not been fazed in the slightest by her Ki. He had merely taken her attacks, waited until she was tired, and slashed her leg, making it impossible for her to run. Dawn had dropped to the ground and tried to scramble away, but the knight had caught her by the leg and flipped her over, halting her retreat.

The knight placed a foot on either side of Dawn's chest, looking downwards. She made an attempt to draw back, but a heavily armoured foot was placed on her chest, pinning her. The knight looked at her once, meeting her fearful gaze with the glare of his impassive metal helm, and then brought the sword down. Dawn flinched, waiting to die-

And that was when an enormous ripping noise sounded through the stadium. Morty, half bald and screaming, cannoned into his armoured partner, knocking both of them over. Dawn lay there stunned, and then turned her head in time to see her saviour running to her aid.

It was an angel, it must have been. The figure ran like the wind itself, propelled by a trail of shimmering gold...

* * *

><p>I ran like hell itself was on my trail, letting the handful of Morty's mullet fall from my fingers as I went. He had proven to be a pretty good flail- a little heavy, maybe, but he'd served his purpose. I had to be fast though, the armoured guy had a hell of a lot of stamina. He was already getting back on his feet, and he lunged for Dawn. I dived on top of the princess, grabbing her shoulders and rolling us both away. The guy in the armour tried to correct his stab but overbalanced, lodging his sword in the soil. I might have tried to take advantage of that, but Morty was already getting up and I had no idea how bad Dawn's wound was. Standing up and grabbing the princess I dashed into the woods, hoping that the thick underbrush would prevent the other two from finding us immediately. As soon as I could be sure that pursuit was not immediately forthcoming, I set Dawn down at the base of a tree and began to tend to the slash on her leg. I was trying to be gentle, but the pain must have jarred her out of her fugue.<p>

"It's fine." She snapped, an obvious lie. The blood had began to soak through her tights, staining them down to the ankle. The wound would not be immediately fatal, but the blood loss could be a serious problem if left untreated. I sighed and began tearing up my shirt. It wasn't actually mine- I'd run out, it was one of Gary's- but the wound on her leg is bad enough to warrant it. Applying a pad of cloth to the cut, I take a long strip of fabric and secure it to her leg. Satisfied that she isn't going to pass out on me, I begin cursing her up down and sideways.

"Do you even understand what teamwork is?"

"...sorry." She mumbled, looking away.

"Bah. Fine. Let's just get out of this mess. Any ideas?"

"Well, I don't think that that knight will be able to swing his sword in here. Why not just wait until the guy you were fighting comes in alone? He seemed impatient."

"Morty? He is, but he'll likely just come in for reconnaissance. He's afraid of me now; he knows to stay away from me. He won't attack while I'm here."

"Then it's an impasse."

"Yes and no. That bandage will help, but it won't undo the blood loss. You'll pass out eventually... and then it'll be two on one."

Dawn bites her lip, thinking. A light comes into her eyes then, one that's both familiar and frightening- she's got that look that May gets when she thinks she's being devious.

"I have a plan." Dawn announces, more confident than I've ever seen her. I groan slightly, and she glares at me.

"No need to worry!"

I groan louder.

* * *

><p>Morty ghosted through the woods, cursing softly. He had run after Ash and the girl as soon as he was able, swearing revenge, but he'd lost the two of them. While that was annoying, it had provided him with some much a much needed cooling off period and he'd soon realized that if he'd been unable to take Ash on alone the odds of defeating him and his partner together were not high. Still, his aching scalp and bruised ego demanded vengeance, and so he refused to give up searching until he at least found them. After that he could try and flush them into the open, where his partner awaited.<p>

It was as he was enumerating the ways in which he'd make Ash pay after the knight had crippled him when he heard the scream.

"Fuck you Ketchum!" came the high pitched yelling. Morty grinned. That was a girl's voice- it must be Ash's partner, and from the sound of things there was trouble in paradise.

Morty glided towards the scream noiselessly. It would have been hard to see his faint, insubstantial form in the daylight; in the darkness of the woods it was nearly impossible. He could not go truly invisible, but his ghost-type Ki allowed him to fade so far out of the visual range that the girl would never see him coming.

Coming to a clearing, Morty hesitated at its edge. Peering in, he got a decent look at Dawn for the first time, and began to grin. It was true she was young, but from what he could see of her figure such a detail was irrelevant. She lay on the ground, curled into a ball and sobbing in huge, gasping wails. Her leg really did look terrible- the blood had began to clot now, but the wound had done its damage. She obviously wasn't in any shape to be going anywhere.

"Fuck you!" She screamed again, her head buried in her hands. "Get back here you bastard!"

Morty nodded in delighted understanding. The boy- Ash- must have abandoned his partner, figuring she was too far gone to be of any use. It made sense, and was the decision Morty himself would have made in the same situation, but it did leave Dawn a little high and dry. In one way Ash's choice was annoying- it would take forever to hunt the boy down- but Morty was not one to look a gift princess in the mouth.

He stepped into the clearing, making sure to keep behind the princess. When no surprises were forthcoming, he came up from behind her and crashed down into her back, pinning her to the forest floor. Dawn yelped, surprised, and began to struggle. Morty, feeling her Ki gather, placed a foot on her leg, directly on top of her wound. Dawn hissed in pain and let her Ki flow away, unable to keep the proper concentration to maintain it.

Smiling in glee, Morty flipped her over. She was young and feisty, but unable to fight back- his favourite combination. One look into his eyes and he'd have her hypnotised- a willing slave to his desires. Well, maybe not so willing. It was always more fun when they fought back.

Looking at Dawn's face, Morty realised two things. The first was that he could not hypnotise her, not with her toque pulled over her eyes. The second was that the two of them were not alone. This revelation came far too late, as by the time Morty realized the danger he was in, Dawn had grabbed his arms.

"Too late, baldy." She laughed. Morty was attempting to fade from her grasp when Ash hit him from the tree branch above.

* * *

><p>"Any pain?" I asked, retying the bandage around Dawn's leg. We'd taken it off to further the pretense that I'd abandoned her, and I was concerned that the brief exposure might have furthered her wound. She shook her head.<p>

"It's fine, really. We need to work out what to do against the other one."

"Hmm... you said your attacks had no effect?"

"None that I could see. The armour just turned everything away."

"I'd like to see it turn away a few thousand volts. I'll just bake the guy in his own armour- end of problem."

She shook her head. "I doubt a professional set of battle armour would have such a weakness, Ash. Either it's shock resistant or it'll have some method of grounding itself. Either way, you'd have to get within sword range to tell."

That, ironically enough, was the one thing I had no fear of doing. Lance tended to have that effect- every danger I'd faced since training with him seemed pale in comparison.

"Don't worry about that, I'll get in close. My only worry is what happens if you're right and it doesn't work. Do you think blunt trauma will still get through? Even armour has to translate some force."

"It's possible, but..." she shrugged, gesturing to herself. "I couldn't really help you with that. I can't move fast enough to get anywhere near that knight anymore, and my Ki had no effect."

"You're wind Ki didn't..." I mused, as something Cynthia said came back to me. "Dawn, you have a Piplup and a Buneary, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Does either one of them know Ice Beam?"

"Of course."

"Then that means you can-" she waved me off.

"I know where you're going, Ash. It won't work. Yes I can use the move somewhat, but nowhere near enough to be useful- I'm not an ice user like Candice. Besides, our enemy is wearing actual battle armour- it wouldn't be used if it were easy to freeze."

"I don't need you to freeze it, I just need you to make it cold enough. This time, I'm the one with the plan."

Dawn muttered something and I laughed.

"Relax princess. No need to worry, right?"

* * *

><p>The knight simply stood their patiently, the glare from the fluorescent lighting reflecting off his armor. I was, despite myself, impressed. There are few people who can make calm, rational decisions in the heat of a battle, but this one obviously could. Knowing his main weapon would be useless in the thick woods he had let Morty go and simply waited here until whatever happened happened. It took an immense amount of patience and tactical training to be able to stop and relax in a fight, but it was, for him, the best course of action and he had taken it. This was not going to be easy- we were dealing with a veteran.<p>

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Dawn hissed in my ear. The two of us were currently laying prone in the middle of a bush at the very edge of the trees, looking out into the clear area of the field.

"No. Are you ready?"

"As much as I'm getting. You do know I'm not an ice specialist, yes?"

"You seem pretty frigid."

"I think I'll choose to ignore that."

"Probably for the best." I murmured, scanning the crowd. They were restless- they couldn't see into the forest, so for them nothing had happened since Dawn and I ran- and I couldn't see my friends among them. That wasn't surprising considering I could only see a fraction of the crowd, but it was a little disappointing. I'd hoped to see a friendly face in the crowd before I put my life in the hands of a girl who'd abandoned me twice now.

"Dawn?"

"Yeah?"

"Just... before I do this, I think you should know something. I know it isn't really the time, but I think I have to say it before it's too late."

Her eyes bulge, and she gapes at me. Getting herself together, she stuttered out: "W-what is i-it?"

I sighed, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"You are a royal pain in the ass."

Delighting in the look of shock on Dawn's face, I leapt to my feet and rushed at the enemy. That'll ensure that Dawn plays her part- she'll keep me alive, even if it's only so she can kill me herself. Dashing full speed at the knight, I drew my sword. He saw me coming, and drew his own, ready to meet me. The two of us clashed with a mighty ringing of metal, and before I knew it I was engulfed in a full tilt sword duel, complete with the threat of death should I make a single misstep.

It is very difficult to describe exactly what it's like to be in a life or death sword fight. I've heard it likened to a high speed, high stakes game of chess, where each possible move and countermove must be considered in the brief interval between blows. I've always thought of that as a bad comparison- chess does not usually contain the danger of having your intestines ripped out, provided that you're bright enough not to play against Misty. A sword fight is a brutal, fast-paced event where a single mistake can lead to a terminal maiming, but I was surprised at how well this one was going. My training with Lance had been far more frightening and my training with Cynthia had been far more mentally taxing. True, My opponents sword was broader and heavier than my own, but Riley's sword was longer than usual, so despite the difference in makes the knight and I had about the same reach. I'm also unencumbered by armor, meaning his heavy blows hold little fear for me- I can back out of the fight far more swiftly than he can pursue, and I'm not getting nearly as tired as he is. All the same, I'll have to enact the plan soon. His armor has reflected all of my blows, whereas I've already been nicked twice by his sword. Dancing around him won't matter a damn if I can't hurt him.

He thrusts forward and I sidestep, pushing him back as he tries to sweep. The two of us aren't moving around as much as you might think- I've been pressing him, knowing that I have the advantage in close quarters due to his lower mobility- but we have been steadily working our way towards the tree line. That had been my goal all along, although it was damned hard to manipulate something as desperate as a duel in one direction, and it was nearly impossible to do that while making it look like you weren't. Regardless I'd managed it, and I doubt we were more than a few meters from the scrub that marks the beginning of the forest. I'm exhausted, but don't let it show- stamina is a soldier's best friend, and one thing that Lance, Cynthia and Riley had all taught me was how to push my limits. The knight is worse at it, and for the last little while has contented himself with just blocking me rather than attempting the huge, sweeping blows of earlier. The two of us are positioned now so that his back is to the woods and I approach him, causing him to raise his sword higher. I flourish mine, both so that I've got his full attention and so that Dawn knows it's time to begin. The knight, as far as I could tell, seemed puzzled by the flourish, but seeing that I wasn't doing anything with it decided to cautiously advance.

That was when a brilliant blue beam erupted from the woods and hit him square in the back.

Dawn was right, she wasn't as good at ice as Candice was. Where Candice's attacks had consisted of controlled, deadly bursts of frozen, razor sharp hail, Dawn's ice beam was a ragged affair. It was just a blue beam that tore through the air and probably wasted a lot more Ki than necessary, but it served its purpose. The knight remained unfrozen- that armor really was something- but I can see the flecks of frost form on the metal where the air moisture has frozen on it. His armor wasn't immobilized but it was damned cold, and that was all I needed.

Rushing forward and taking full advantage of the distraction Dawn had created, I placed both hands on the knight's chest and unload electrical aura as quickly as I could.

The combination of our attacks did what either one alone could not. Although Dawn had been correct- her ice could not freeze our opponent, and my electricity was simply displaced and grounded- what she had failed to account for is that anything that conducts heats up. The metal of the knight's armor was trying to expand in the front and contract in the back, and, unable to enact both changes at once, exploded. I was showered with metallic fragments- most of which, luckily, were too small to be dangerous- and our opponent was revealed.

I was not the kind of person to take well to prejudice. Admittedly, this was less of an altruistic trait than it was just me being a bastard- I hated everyone, whether they were male or female, black or white, straight, bent or bi. Still, I make mistakes. All humans do. And it occurred to me suddenly as the steam cleared and my enemy was revealed that it had been a mistake to refer to the knight as a 'he' even if it had only been to give hi- her a convenient label while we fought. Several thoughts flickered through my mind then, among them the ideas that knights could be female too, and that it was very difficult to tell someone's gender under a full suit of armor. That was not my primary concern, however. No, the thing that had me most upset was that I'd used a flat hand grab on my enemy's chest in order to maximize the contact surface of my electricity, and it turns out that he- sorry, she- was a member of the gender for whom the term 'breastplate' was one hundred percent accurate.

The two of us froze, each locked into our position by embarrassment and horror. The crowd whooped, and I decided that although I had no way to diffuse the situation, breaking the awkwardness would be better than doing nothing at all.

"Uh..." I said, wracking my brains for something to say. Unfortunately, the only experience I had with this sort of thing was second hand, related to me through Gary. I decided to just go for it.

"Knock-knock?"

The girl, an attractive brunette, screamed something incoherent at me and tried to slap me. That proved to be a mistake, as she overbalanced, tripped on the wrecked remnants of her armor, and fell over, knocking herself out against the ground. I just stood there, hands in the same open position, wondering whether it would be better to run away or just wait until the Misty and May killed me. Dawn, who was in a slightly more rational frame of mind, informed the ref that we'd beaten the shit out of Morty in the woods and were now the winners. He confirmed this, and declared us such. Dawn, realizing the state I was in, approached me.

"Who's there?" I asked weakly, still several seconds behind everyone else. Dawn grabbed my arms and lowered them to my sides gently, and led me back into the stands. There an ebullient Gary and an extremely amused Zoey waited to greet me.

"Brother!" Gary yelled, clapping me on the back. "That was beautiful! A perfect double handed foregrope- I couldn't have done it better myself!"

I shook off his arm and grabbed him by his collar.

"Listen!" I hissed directly into his face. "I need a boat ticket, a tranquilizer gun and an alibi! Move now and I might live!"

Gary laughed it off like it was nothing. "Oh don't worry about Misty and May, they aren't here."

"Huh?"

"They went to drop the things they bought off at the hotel before watching your match, but they must have gotten distracted- they missed the whole thing. Lucky for you, huh?"

"Where are they now?" I asked, a little more harshly than I'd intended. Gary stares at me.

"Still at the hotel, I'd assume." He said slowly. "Why?"

I didn't answer, I just walked off in the direction of the exit. I felt someone grab me- Dawn I think- but I shrugged her off without turning. Gary called an inquiry after me, but I didn't respond. By the time I hit the stadium's front doors I was running. Kaelus picked up on my rising panic, confused.

_My host? What is wrong?_

"_They didn't come."_

_So? Perhaps they were distracted. Or maybe they watched it on the television in their rooms. Nothing to worry about._

I shook my head and picked up speed. Kaelus didn't understand, nobody understood. They had missed my match- had missed an event that could have killed me. They wouldn't do that willingly, just as I would never be away when one of them was in danger.

"_Not if I knew about it, at any rate." _Came a grim thought. I picked up speed again, something I hadn't thought possible. By the time I hit the hotel I'm going so fast that instead of opening the door I just kick it. This maneuver is an excellent way to bounce off a door and look like an idiot, but desperation is a powerful tool and the portal slams inwards, permitting me entrance. I forgo the elevator, instead leaping up stairs three at a time. I'm amazed that I still had any oxygen left in my blood by the time I get to my floor, but I don't even hesitate- I just kept running.

The door to Misty's room was ajar.

Sprinting down the hallway I reached her door, and for the first time, paused. That was not due to fear or exhaustion, but merely to shock- I could smell the blood from here.

The human body is a truly incredible thing. I had fought a hard battle, run all the way to the hotel, and then practically flown up the steps. In any other situation I would have fallen over, half-dead from exhaustion. But as tired as I was, the second the scent of blood emanating from my girlfriend's room hit me, every muscle, tendon and ligament in my body went nuts. Adrenaline crashed through my system and I blew her door open, sending it smashing into the room. I dashed in, terrified for my girls.

I had been having bad dreams ever since I came to this island- hell, ever since I heard about this damned tournament. They were nothing though, not compared to what I saw in that room.

This time the nightmare had become real.

* * *

><p><strong>As I said earlier, May and Ash's relationship will need to be clarified soon. I hope to get this done in the next update.<strong>

**The knight in armour was Kidd Summers. I'm aware that it isn't that clear.**

**Oh, and the more mathematically minded of you will notice the discrepancy between the number of contestants now and the numbers given in chapter twelve. This is why one should never give out numbers until one knows where their story is going.**

**Again, be cautious when making assumptions about Ash's origins, Kaelus, the Grey ones and Lucas. Please remember that I only have one font to work with, so characters that talk the same way may do so accidently (Darkrai has a different font in my original, but it doesn't carry to FFN). I think this site can handle multiple fonts, but I don't know which ones.**

**I would also like to point out that this update was nearly forty thousand words long, and that my life was crazy through all of it. I will be utterly shocked if there aren't any plot holes, but no worries- undoubtedly some keen-eyed reader will point them out, and I can plug them with the lovely duct-tape that is ret-conning.**


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